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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28888821">Adventures in Happiness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilpup105/pseuds/devilpup105'>devilpup105</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The 100 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:49:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>128,334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28888821</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilpup105/pseuds/devilpup105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Lexa and Clarke talk about a potential deal that could be made with Mount Weather before the Battle? What happens when Clark embraces being Wanheda? What follows will be the start of a relationship that will become the one of Clarke and Lexa that we all wanted. *Revised Chapters are now being rolled out*</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Octavia Blake/Lincoln</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everyone! This story was originally started on Fanfiction.net. I wanted to expand my reach to this site as well. I hope you all enjoy my story!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was a welcome warmth for Clarke as she stepped out from the tent she had been staying off and on in over the past couple weeks. She would stay here when the strategy talks with Lexa went way into the night. She had to cover her eyes while she adjusted to the bright rays that were currently blinding her. When her eyes finally adjusted the light she looked around and took in the area that felt more like a home than Camp Jaha was.</p>
<p>From where she was standing on the hill she had a clear view of the camp that had been set up and Camp Jaha was set the farthest back from her tent. In the middle of the two camps, a training ground had been set up for training and the occasional spar that would occur. Clarke had not been to the training grounds yet. She did most of her training somewhere else and away from the prying eyes of everyone.</p>
<p>To her left was a tent that was specifically built for the blacksmiths that had come from Tondisi to assist in providing gear for Lexa's army. This tent constantly had smoke coming from the middle of it. Occasionally she would come to a meeting with Lexa and notice that she was talking with a blacksmith and that said blacksmith would be dismissed almost immediately upon her arrival. She still had not figured out what Lexa was planning but she set that thought to the side for now. She had been itching to get rid of the gun that was currently tucked into her waistband behind her back but hadn't figured out what weapons she would be good with.</p>
<p>To her right was nothing but woods. Lexa and I had wound up wondering through them one day when they both had been stressed to the max it seemed like by the constant back and forth she had with her generals. They had found a nice clearing not that far from her tent that they had decided to use for training. They had only used this clearing a couple times in the past couple weeks. She was just starting to learn the basics when they were interrupted by Gustus and they had to immediately deal with Quint, who had decided to try and sabotage the alliance by poisoning food and water that was meant for Clarke and Lexa.</p>
<p>She smiled to herself as she took everything in. The past couple of weeks had been a breath of fresh air for her. Bellamy had infiltrated Mount Weather a week ago and was checking in when he was able. Lincoln had been able to get them to the tunnels without any major issues and had returned under the cover of night two days later. Octavia had started her training as Indra's second. Raven and Wick were hard at work developing enough explosives so they would be able to hit potential weak points for the mountain.</p>
<p>Her mind drifted to Lexa and her smile grew bigger. The last couple of weeks she could tell something was changing between them. The late night meetings were not always about strategy. It started a few days ago when they had gone over the plan for getting Bellamy inside the mountain. Lexa has wanted to know what her life on the ark was like. She was initially caught off guard by the question but recovered quickly and started describing the basics of what her life was like. Lexa to her credit was very attentive and asked questions when I confused her about something. By the time she had finished explaining how everything worked on the ark it was dark and the moon was a quarter of the way through its cycle. That was the first night Lexa offered the tent to her. Over the next couple of nights, they took turns learning things about the other. The walls started to come down for both of them, they started closing the distance they kept between them. Clarke smiled at the developing feeling she was gaining towards Lexa. Who knew that she would be falling for someone she just met and had to secure and alliance with to survive.</p>
<p>Clarke was pulled out of her trance when she felt the presence of someone walking up behind her. She quickly reached behind her back and pulled her gun and leveled it at the approaching presence.</p>
<p>"Whoa there Clarke it's just me." Octavia had her hands up and was starting to back away from her. Clarke lowered her weapon and smiled.</p>
<p>"Sorry O, I was off in my own little world." Octavia put her hands down and chuckled.</p>
<p>"I would say so. You wouldn't want to tell me where you were?" she asked while raising her eyebrows at Clarke.</p>
<p>"I was just thinking about how things have changed drastically since we first landed here." It was a half lie but she didn't dare mention that she was actually thinking about Lexa.</p>
<p>"You are right in that aspect. Who would have thought that we would have a tentative alliance with the people that originally were sent to wipe us out." Octavia was standing shoulder to shoulder with Clarke now.</p>
<p>"That is all because of you Clarke. You made this possible. Without you we most likely would have been dead by now." Clarke didn't know what to say. She was doing what she thought was best for her people.</p>
<p>"I don't think I deserve all the credit O. I only bought us a tentative alliance. We don't know what the fallout of the fight we have against Mount Weather will be. There is still so much we have to account for that I am surprised Lex-The Commander hasn't thrown me out yet." Clarke mentaly kicked herself for her slip up. Very few people were allowed to call the commander by her real name.</p>
<p>"Well I am sure you and the Commander will figure it out Clarke. You do seem to be spending an awful lot of time with each other." Octavia nugged her as she spoke. Clarke was stunned. Now she wondered who else was watching her that closely.</p>
<p>"Well that kinda comes with the part of being in an alliance with someone. It's nice to actually be listened to for once." Clake said soundly trying to deflect any suggestion Octavia might bring up.</p>
<p>"Yes talking with an ally does take a lot of time, but Clarke you haven't been to Camp Jaha in two weeks. You have spent more time with The commander than anyone that came down from the ark. I'm not the only one that has noticed." Clark looked at her and she could see the worry and amusement in her eyes.</p>
<p>"Who all has noticed O?" She was trying to figure out how much explaining she would have to do.</p>
<p>"Bellamy, Raven, and Kane have noticed but don't say anything. They know the importance of what you are doing. Your mother on the other hand thinks you are being held against your will." Octavia hesitated as she told Clark this.</p>
<p>Clarke took a moment to think about this new information. Bellamy would understand why she hadn't returned hopefully. Although the last time she saw him he was reluctant to leave her while he got inside Mount Weather.</p>
<p>Raven worried her more than her mother. Clarke has made the decision to put Finn out of his misery and Raven hated her for it. She needed to try and patch things up with her.</p>
<p>Kane was the one that would be the most reasonable and easiest one to explain her intentions to. He has been the one that has stood by her since he saw that she was running everything very well down here.</p>
<p>"I will deal with Raven and Kane soon, Bellamy will have to wait till we accomplish our mission." She turned away from Octavia and looked towards Lexa's tent. Her mind started to clear as she set her sights on it. She calmed her rising nerves and took a deep breath.</p>
<p>"Octavia I need you to promise me something." Clarke knew that this war with Mount Weather could turn ugly quickly and she would need someone by her side that she could trust when it came to it.</p>
<p>"What is it Clarke?" Octavia had one eyebrow raised and was trying to figure out what caused the sudden mood change.</p>
<p>"I want you to stay by my side as much as you can. I know you have just become Indra's second but I need someone I can trust with me. I need someone that will keep me in check. This war could turn ugly fast and we may lose or have to sacrifice people to win this war." She was looking eye to eye with Octavia now and her voice was breaking.</p>
<p>"You have been with me since we came down here. I trust you more than I do your brother. You have been able to be the bridge between us and Lexa's people just like me." Clarke was now holding the hand of her best friend at this point.</p>
<p>"I may have to make some choices that will piss you off but I need you to understand that if I have to make those decisions, it is for the best for everyone involved." Clarke knew she was asking a lot of her but she was hoping Octavia would agree to be there with her.</p>
<p>"I'll do it Clarke. We may have had our differences but I think it would be wise for us to stay close."</p>
<p>"Thank you O." She gave her a hug and the both looked back over the camp.</p>
<p>"Now I need you to do something for me." Clarke spoke while still gazing over the whole camp.</p>
<p>"What is it?" Octavia stood a little straighter than she had ever. Clarke smirked at this.</p>
<p>"I need you to inform Kane and Raven that my mother has no say in any of our dealings with the commander. She already sees me as our leader. I need everyone in camp to support me and to not question my dealings with Le-the commander." Clarke mentally kicked herself again. That was twice she slipped up.</p>
<p>"Kane takes over immediately. I don't care how we used to do things on the Ark. This is a new time and we go by our rules." Octavia smiled at the confidence Clarke was showing. She had caught the slip ups but didn't mention them.</p>
<p>"I'll do my best Clarke. I'll need time though. I have to be careful because I am training with the Trikru as well. We are starting a dangerous game here." Clarke knew she was right. They had to tread carefully from this point forward.</p>
<p>"I know that Octavia. I need to meet with Kane at some point before the battle and fill him in on everything I can. Can you help me there?"</p>
<p>"I will get him to come meet you here at your tent. I'll sneak him in two days from now." She paused and turned to face Clarke.</p>
<p>"I would bring this up to the commander. The more she knows the more likely she is to trust you and not betray us." Octavia was giving her a talking to without being blunt about it.</p>
<p>"Already planned on it." She smirked at her and gave her a clap on the back.</p>
<p>"Now how about we find something to eat before I have to go to leader duties." Clarke elbowed Octavia and started walking.</p>
<p>Unbeknownst to both of them Lexa had been on her way to find Clarke and heard everything they were talking about. Lexa on one hand was proud that Clarke was setting things in motion to lead her people in her own way and on the other something Octavia had said bothered her. She needed to talk to Clarke and feel out what her relationship with her mother is.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Lexa turned and headed back to her tent. She would find Clarke in a little while. When she stepped back through her tent she was met by the cold gaze of Indra. Lexa met her eyes and made her way to her throne and prepared herself for whatever Indra was about to talk to her about. She sat down on her throne and tried to settle herself as much as she could. She took a breath once she was settled and focused on Indra.</p>
<p>"You may speak Indra." She tried to keep her voice calm and collected. She knew how Indra felt about Clarke and Skaikru.</p>
<p>"Have you figured out if you can trust the Sky girl?" She was expecting this question and she still didn't have a sound answer for it. There was something different about Clarke that made her uneasy.</p>
<p>Clarke was causing the walls that she had built up for so long, to slowly crumble. The effect that Clarke was having on her was giving her feeling that she had not known since Costia. Those feelings caused her to feel amazing but they also came at a cost. The last time she let her walls down, a part of her was stolen. Could she really go through that again. See turned her gaze back to Indra and was met by a look of worry and compassion. It was quickly replaced by Indra's normal stoic facade.</p>
<p>"We can trust her for now. She has done nothing since we started this alliance to warrant distrust. She has been forthcoming with everything to this point." Lexa to a breath to calm her rising nerves about what she overheard this morning.</p>
<p>"That is good news Heda, but you should know that our scouts reported back this morning from the mission you sent them on." Indra paused and waited. Lexa tried to remember what mission she was talking about. There were so many right now.</p>
<p>"Which mission Indra? Was it the one I sent to keep tabs on Azgeda, or the one that I sent south to make sure everything was still progressing like the Yujleda had promised at the last coalition meeting, or was it the one that is getting me info on the matter to the west." Lexa's voice was starting to rise as she spoke.</p>
<p>"What about the one I sent out three weeks ago to the dead zone, or the one that was sent with the Floukru to map out the surrounding area by sea" Lexa was almost yelling by this point. She had been close to her breaking point for far too long now.</p>
<p>"There have been to many missions recently so excuse me if I don't know which one you are talking about." She set back in her chair and looked at Indra.</p>
<p>Indra was shocked and stunned. In the years she had been at Lexa's side she had not once seen this kind of reaction from her reporting the return of scouts. She looked over Lexa and could feel the tension and stress radiating off her. Lexa has never broken like this before, and Indra was out of her element. She didn't know how to approach this.</p>
<p>"Well Indra?" Lexa speaking again brought her out of her stunned silence.</p>
<p>"It was the one you sent to keep an eye on the sky people. They returned last night while you were in one of your meetings with Clarke." The use of Clarke's name calmed her quicker than she thought was possible. It was also the first time Indra and had called her by name and not something else.</p>
<p>Indra saw the change and it only confirmed her suspicions and confirmed how much Lexa actually trusted Clarke. She was happy that Lexa was finding someone she was starting to care for again. She knew about Costia and how much her death had affected the young commander at the time. She just hoped that it wouldn't turn out like it did the last time.</p>
<p>Lexa looked back at Indra when she was calm and saw a small smile on Indra's face. It was one of the rare times she actually saw Indra smile. She was initially caught off guard by this but recovered quickly.</p>
<p>"What did they have to report?" She was hoping to quickly get this over with so she could move on to finding Clarke.</p>
<p>"They reported seeing Clarke's mother trying to rally some people to come look for Clarke. From what they said, not many people were willing to listen to her. They also reported that some devices were being made by the Skaikru that were small and could be buried. Overall they saw Skaikru preparing for the upcoming battle as best as they knew how." Indra finished and looked back at Lexa. Indra knew that Lexa was clamer and had seen the small smile on her face.</p>
<p>"I will talk this over with Clarke, over the coming days." A small smile crept onto her face as she thought of Clarke.</p>
<p>"Is there anything else I need to deal with?" She really didn't want the answer to this question but she had a duty to her people if they needed her.</p>
<p>"There are a couple things that do need attention. I will have food brought to you before you address these things." Indra had known that the items Lexa needed to deal with were minor but she needed to keep Lexa busy while she found Clarke.</p>
<p>Lexa set back in her chair a bit. This would keep her busy for a couple of hours at least. That of course depended on how severe these issues were. She was hoping that they were very minor and could be dealt with quickly.</p>
<p>"If that is all Indra, you can send for the food." Indra nodded and bowed to her and took her leave.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Indra knew that she was on a clock as soon as she left Lexa's tent. She needed to find Clarke and have a talk with her. Indra knew something was going on between them, even if neither of them knew it yet. She wasn't sure on how she should feel about Lexa starting to feel for someone again. On one hand she was happy for Lexa the person but on the other she was worried for how this could be used against her people and the coalition.</p>
<p>Lexa was special to her in a mother daughter kind of way. Indra had watched her grow into the strong, confident woman she was today. She had also seen her at her lowest shortly after she became Heda. Indra knew that she was known for stoic facade and her lack of a sense of humor but deep down she cared for Lexa. She would die for Lexa if that is what it took to keep her safe and alive.</p>
<p>To her Clarke posed a lot of unknown variables. From what she had seen, the sky people had no sense of survival knowledge or fighting experience to speak of. They relied on their guns more than anything else and that would be their downfall if they didn't adapt. Octavia really had been the only one that had shown interest in their culture and way of living. Indra knew that she would succeed once she fully applied herself to the training.</p>
<p>Clarke felt more like a thorn in her side than anything. When she first met Clarke it was not on good terms and she hated the way she talked to Heda. Her confrontational attitude and outspokenness infuriated Indra. Then she showed that she knew how to bring their people back from being reapers and she started to slowly see Clarke in a different light. The more she watched how she acted and played the mediator to her clan and the sky people, the more Clarke started to grow on her.</p>
<p>Indra checked the eating area that had been set up and saw an unexpected face among the crowd. The man known as Marcus Kane was sitting on a log and trying to talk to some of the <em>Trikru</em>. She could tell that he was not getting very far because of the broken English most of the <em>Trikru</em> knew. She walked over and made herself know.</p>
<p>"Kane, how are you this morning?" she had to hide a smile that threatened to break free when Kane jumped out of his skin.</p>
<p>"I am well Indra. I was just trying to learn more about your culture and customs. Octavia and Clarke can't be the only ones to try and make this work." he gave a half smile to her. There was something about Kane that made her feel different. She shoved that thought to the side quickly. She had no time for that now or anytime soon.</p>
<p>"Heda will be pleased to hear that. Now have you seen Clarke? Heda has requested her for a meeting." She told the half lie too easily. She tried to remember when it had become second nature to her.</p>
<p>"She left about twenty minutes ago with Octavia. They headed towards the training grounds saying something about needing to let loose some steam." Kane must have seen the look of confusion on everyone's face because he quickly explained what this meant.</p>
<p>"Thank you." Indra nodded at him and promptly left and headed straight for the training grounds.</p>
<p>When she arrived she was surprised by the sight that was before her. Clarke and Octavia were standing back to back in the middle of a circle. There were six Trikru surrounding them and behind that circle were about six more Trikru laying on the ground knocked unconscious. She was about to interrupt when one of the six Trikru attacked.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Twenty minutes earlier</strong>
</p>
<p>Clarke and Octavia had just gone done eating and telling Kane as much as they could about the change coming for Camp Jaha. He agreed to meet Clarke in two days to go over the rest that could not be said in public due to prying ears and eyes. They said their goodbye and left.</p>
<p>"You know O, I need to blow off some steam. How about we head over to the training grounds and spar like we did on the Ark?" she could see the shock on Octavia's face. Clarke knew she saw what had gone down when all the adults were working.</p>
<p>"You know that sounds like a good idea. I needed to train at some point today. I might as well get started early." she started to roll her shoulders as they made their way to the grounds.</p>
<p>When they entered the grounds every Trikru warrior in the area paused what they were doing and studied them. They could care less what they thought at this moment.</p>
<p>"I am going to take a wild guess and say that the staring is normal?" Clarke asked as they found a spot to train.</p>
<p>"Unfortunately, yes it is." Octavia rolled her eyes and chuckled a little.</p>
<p>"Well how about we give them a reason to stare." Clarke winked at Octavia and shed her jacket that left her in a black t-shirt. She then shed said shirt and was now wearing a black sports bra. Octavia just laughed and joined her. Clarke knew that what they were doing was not practical for the type of war they were going into but she wanted to have some fun.</p>
<p>They took their positions opposite each other and did the final stretches to make sure they didn't pull anything. They both looked at each other and smiled, both knowing that they were now the focus of all the men in the arena. Once they were well stretched they took their stances and began.</p>
<p>They circled each other waiting for the other to make the first move. This was known as playing Chicken with the other. It was a common tactic that was used on the Ark to gauge the patience each fighter had. Neither of them said a word to the other. They both knew how this game was played and they both were willing to dance this dance for as long as it took.</p>
<p>They made about four complete circles around each other before Octavia gave up and made the first move. She closed the distance quickly between her and Clarke and tackled her to the ground. Octavia preferred to get her opponent on the ground quickly that way she could control the fight. Once they were on the ground she started throwing punch after punch trying to land a blow to Clarke's head.</p>
<p>The blow to the ground caught Clarke off guard but she quickly recovered and blocked the incoming punches. She waited for an opening and when she saw she struck. Clarke saw the wheels turning in Octavia's mind trying to figure out how to land a blow. Octavia pulled back just enough that she saw her opening. Clarke used her weight advantage and rolled them both over and landed a solid punch to Octavia's gut. Once she was on top she landed a left hook to the side of Octavia's face. She jumped up and backed off daring Octavia to react.</p>
<p>"You are going to have to do better than playground tactics to beat me O." Clarke started pacing back and forth with a wicked smile on her face. Octavia's lip was busted and was starting to bleed.</p>
<p>Octavia ran a finger over the side of her face and winced. Clarke had a mean swing and had busted her lip. She spat the blood that was pooling in her mouth on the ground and got up.</p>
<p>"Nice swing Princess, but that was a lucky shot." She smiled at Clarke and they went at each other again.</p>
<p>Every punch they threw at each other was thrown with the intention to hurt. This is how all the issues between the teenagers on the Ark were settled. You went till the other person dropped. They had been going at this breakneck pace for ten minutes now when they both paused visibly starting to tire. They looked each other over and laughed.</p>
<p>"Shit Clarke you look like you just got hit by a 2x4 multiple times."</p>
<p>"You are one to talk. I didn't know you had so much blood in you."</p>
<p>They walked over to the area that had big pots of water set up for the people training to clean up. They washed each other's blood off themselves and gave each other the once over. They realized that all the blood had come from each other's fists and there were only minor injuries. Both of their noses had to be reset which caused more blood to flow. They both had bruised faces and bruised hands. They just laughed at the state of themselves and headed back to their stuff content with the steam they let loose.</p>
<p>They were starting to grab their stuff when they saw shadows behind them. They both turned around and saw twelve Trikru warriors surrounding both looked at each other and both mental swore to each other. The leader of this little welcoming party looked at both of them and smiled.</p>
<p>"You two think that you can just come in to our area and freely use what we built without any consequences?" The other men chuckled and continued to surround them. Clarke looked at the man and started to size them up. She knew where this was going. Octavia looked over at Clarke and nodded. Clarke was glad that they were on the same page.</p>
<p>They both dropped their stuff and started to slowly loosen the muscles that were starting to tighten on them. Clarke looked at the man and smiled at him.</p>
<p>"As a matter of fact that is exactly what we thought. You see from my understanding we were allowed to roam the camp as we wanted with the commander's blessing." Clarke knew that she was starting a dangerous game here but she could care less.</p>
<p>"That may be true sky girl, but you see, even Heda knows that everyone that enters the grounds is free to be tested." How much of this was true Clarke did not know but again she didn't care she just wanted to go find Lexa and forget about everything as best as she could.</p>
<p>"Well then you may want to find more men to make it an even fight." Octavia spat the men. She knew that alone they would most likely fail in this fight, but together they stood a chance. She trusted Clarke to have her back and that was all she needed.</p>
<p>All the men looked at them and laughed.</p>
<p>"I think twelve of us is plenty. <em>Jump em!</em>" The leader shouted and six of the men advanced.</p>
<p>Clarke and Octavia were immediately back to back and ready to win this test. Once the men advanced on them they moved like a well oiled machine. Their adrenaline shot through the roof and made all the stiffness and wounds from their spar disappear. The first man advanced and they easily countered his blows and knocked him out with a simultaneous blow to his temples. This only seemed to frustrate the men and two came at this time. They took one a piece this time and they both used their size and quickness to their advantage. They ducked and dodge each blow that was thrown at them like they had done this every day for their whole life. Clarke landed a blow to her opponent's nose that caused it to break then she landed a solid shot to his temple taking him out of the equation. She turned around to help Octavia just in time to see her guy on the ground as well. Three down, nine to go.</p>
<p>The other three men attacked at once this time. Clarke and Octavia had to be more defensive this time around. They ducked, dodged and blocked every blow that they could. One man landed a blow on Clarke and then on Octavia. Both of their lips were busted open and that only made them more pissed off. They were done messing around now. They moved like the wind and expertly took down one man after the other. All three of the men had busted knees and shattered noses. The remaining six men moved the others away and surrounded them.</p>
<p>"You have gotten lucky so far sky girls. You are starting to tire. How do you expect to win this now?" The remaining men started to tighten the circle around them. Clarke felt Octavia behind her and they gave each other a reassuring touch. This was the first time they had actually worked together to accomplish something and Clarke couldn't have been happy that she made the right choice in trusting Octavia.</p>
<p>"Even after you saw what we did to half of you, you still think that you can win this." They both flashed a wicked grin at the remaining men.</p>
<p>"You must really be full of yourselves to think that we are done. This just shows that all of you need more training if you are getting your asses handed to you but two sky girls." Octavia spat at them knowing that she pissed them off. The remaining men didn't wait any longer and they started to attack them.</p>
<p>Indra couldn't believe what she was seeing. Clarke and Octavia were moving faster than she thought was possible. They were weaving in and out of the circle with ease and were combining their attacks seamlessly. Indra watched as once by one the men went down until the so called leader of this group was left struggling to stand. She moved a little closer so she could hear what was being said.</p>
<p>"You think this proves anything Sky girls. You still have not earned our respect just because you used a style of fighting we are not accustomed to." He spat at both of them sending blood flying towards the ground in front of them.</p>
<p>"Well we will have to see about that. From where we stand you are the last one standing, barely. We both know how this is going to end." It was Clarke and Octavia's turn to laugh.</p>
<p>The man to his credit still went on the attack. They easily dodged his weakened punches and shattered his knees with swift kicks. He fell to the ground instantly. They walked around to face the man and flashed a wicked grin at the man.</p>
<p>The man looked up at both of them and saw two different faces staring back at him. Each of the women had blood running down their faces and through the blood he saw the flash of teeth and the look of glee hidden in their eyes. He was staring at two women who turned into fighting machines like it was second nature and he was scared shitlless. They both looked at each other and nodded. The next thing he saw was two kicks swinging towards him and then black.</p>
<p>Clarke and Octavia watched as the man crumpled to the ground. They looked around and noticed that everyone that was left, was backing away from them. The looks plastered on their faces were that of pure terror. This confused them as they looked at each other. Clarke took one look at Octavia and realized that she was covered in blood from the various wounds they had plus the wounds they caused on the men. She could tell Octavia had the same realistation.</p>
<p>"Damn princess you look like death walking. You are covered from head to toe." She laughed as she started to try and wipe some of the blood that was running down her face.</p>
<p>"Same goes for you O. I have a feeling from the looks we just got that we won't be messed with anymore." Clarke chuckled as she turned to find her things when she was met by Indra.</p>
<p>Clarke quickly stilled and was at a loss for words. How long had Indra been here? How much had she seen? Was she going to think they started this? Clarke's mind was racing as she was trying to figure out what would happen to them.</p>
<p>Indra took one look at the state the girls were in and shook her head. She was impressed to say the least. She could count on one hand how many people could take on twelve trained Trikru warriors and still be standing.</p>
<p>"What is going on here <em>Okteivia</em>?" She asked with her stoic gruff voice reappearing. She smiled to herself as she saw Octavia bow to her before she spoke.</p>
<p>"Clarke and I were doing some sparring to release some steam. When we were about to leave we were surrounded by these Trikru and told that we were free to be tested. We stood our ground and were just about to leave." Octavia bowed after she was done remembering some of her training.</p>
<p>Clarke was curious as to why Indra was here to begin with. As far as she knew, Lexa and her were not to meet till around lunch.</p>
<p>"Is this true <em>Klark</em>?" It took a second for Clarke to respond because she was shocked. Indra had just called her by her name and not Sky girl. She shook herself out of her stupor quickly.</p>
<p>"Yes Indra everything that Octavia said is true." Clarke followed Octavia's lead and bowed to Indra just to be safe.</p>
<p>"Well we will see what Heda has to say about this. Come with me." She turned and told the closest Trikru warrior to move the men on the ground to the healers.</p>
<p>Clarke and Octavia looked at each other and sighed. They both knew this would not go well. They grabbed their things and caught up with Indra, falling in behind her.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lexa's tent</strong>
</p>
<p>Lexa didn't know whether to be upset with Indra or how easy the issues were to deal with or be thankful that she was able to clear her day for now. She had just sat down on her throne when a messenger came through the flaps of her tent and knelt before her. She looked at the man and wondered what this could be about.</p>
<p>"<em>Chit ste em?</em>"(What is it?") Lexa asked the boy in front of her.</p>
<p>"<em>Indra ste ona the way kom meet yu kom Klark en Okteivia. Emo laik both covered head kom toe in jus. Tua Trikru were taken kom the fisa. Hogeda were unconscious.</em>"(Indra is on the way to meet you with Clarke and Octavia. They are both covered head to toe in blood. Twelve tree people were taken to the healer. All were unconscious." The boy said as he described what he was told to inform Heda of on orders from Indra.</p>
<p>"<em>Mochof, yu laik free kom go</em>"(Thank you, you are free to go.) The man bowed and took his leave.</p>
<p>Lexa took this information in and had more questions than she could fathom. Twelve of her warriors were heading to the healers while Clarke and Octavia were on their way here being led through camp by Indra. She could only imagine what would be spread through her camp. She would deal with that later. She could only wait for their arrival so she sat and ran through all the possible reasons for what had occurred. She didn't have to wait long as one of the guards outside announced their arrival.</p>
<p>Lexa sat up straighter on her throne and played with her favorite dagger. Indra entered first and bowed to her. Clarke and Octavia were right behind her and followed Indra's lead. Lexa had to hold back the gasp that was threatening to escape from her as she looked at Clarke. Her blond hair was streaked with blood, her nose was broken for what looked like the second time, her left eye was almost swollen shut. Her face was covered in bruises, her hands were black and blue and covered in cuts. Lexa almost didn't recognize her. It took all her will power to stay in her seat and not rush to make sure she was okay.</p>
<p>Lexa turned and looked at Octavia. Her black hair hid the blood better than Clarke's. Her face was almost an exact match to Clarke's. Both of their arms were also covered in bruises, as well as their mid sections. She looked at Clarke and had to still herself again as she laid eyes on her stomach. It pained her to see Clarke like this and for the first time she felt pain for Octavia as well. Lexa's eyes finally found Clarke's and she saw the worry and guilt in her eyes. She tore her gaze off of Clarke and looked at Indra.</p>
<p>"Indra care to explain why Clarke and Octavia look like they have been through a war." She was surprised that she was able to speak in such a calm tone. She had to focus on Indra to keep from staring at Clarke.</p>
<p>"Well Heda, you could say that is exactly what happened." Indra said as she began filling in the gaps.</p>
<p>It took about twenty minutes for Indra, Clarke and Octavia to tell their version of the story. Lexa was able to tell that Indra had come upon the fight in the middle of it. Clarke and Octavia were not in the wrong in her eyes. She was more impressed than upset. She got up and moved to the table and sat down at the head of it.</p>
<p>"Indra could you have the guards fetch two bowls of water and some food." Indra nodded and exited the tent leaving both girls standing stiff as boards. She chuckled softly to herself. What was she going to do with them?</p>
<p>"You may sit down." She said to them calmly and gestured to the two seats on either side of her.</p>
<p>They both looked at her and then each other and nodded. Lexa smirked at this little interaction. They were already showing how much respect they held for each other. Clarke sat to her left and Octavia to her right. They still had not spoken since they finished telling their side of the story. She looked at both of them and now could see and the cuts that were not as visible from far away. Every time she looked at Clarke her heart sank.</p>
<p>One of the guards brought in a bowl of water for each of them to wash their faces with. Once they were sitting in front of them, Clarke and Octavia still didn't move. Lexa shook her head at both of them.</p>
<p>"You can move, you know. I am not upset at either of you. From what you have told me, you did not seek out the fight and you held your own against trained warriors. I am very impressed with the both of you. Now wash your faces so we can eat when the food gets here." She motioned to the bowls in front of each woman. They thankfully started moving and cleaned their faces.</p>
<p>It took them a solid ten minutes to wash the dried blood off all the covered parts of their bodies. Lexa just sat silently and watched. As more blood was washed away the more was revealed. Each woman had a smattering off bruises on each arm, their faces were worse than she previously thought. By the time they were done each bowl had turned dark and was no longer water. The bowls were removed as the food was brought in. Lexa could tell that both girls were starting to come down from the adrenaline. They were moving slower and starting to wince at every movement. Clarke looked up at Octavia and shook her head while wearing a smile.</p>
<p>"O we really should work on protecting our faces better. If you look like a bruised grape then I am afraid of what I look like." Lexa relaxed a little at the laughter coming from Octavia.</p>
<p>"If you think I look bad you should look in a mirror. I think you intentionally tried to block every punch with your face." Lexa saw the blush form on her face. It was cute to see. Lexa was intrigued by what was going on between the two.</p>
<p>"Well there really is only one way to find out who looks worse." Clarke smiled at Octavia and winked at her. Lexa was confused by this and for the first time was caught off guard when Clarke turned to her.</p>
<p>"So commander, which of us looks the prettiest?" Octavia spit out her drink and was beating on her chest to try and breathe. Lexa's mouth dropped open and she was at a loss for words. Her mind was not working.</p>
<p>"Clarke, I think you killed her." Octavia waved her hand in front of Lexa's face which caused her to blink.</p>
<p>"Well to answer your question <em>Klark</em>, I would have to say Octavia does on the sole purpose that she didn't use her face to block punches." Lexa could tell that Clarke was not expecting this answer by the look on her face. Octavia was howling with laughter at the state of shock Clarke was in. Lexa let the laugh that had been building out and joined Octavia.</p>
<p>"Well I think that settles that Clarke. Now if I remember correctly you mentioned something about a bath commander?" Octavia turned to her once she calmed down.</p>
<p>"Yes I did Octavia. If Clarke is okay with it I can have one sent to her tent so you have some privacy. I can also have another bed set up in the case that you pass out afterwards." Lexa looked at Clarke and she nodded.</p>
<p>"<em>Mochaf Heda</em>. The bed sounds nice but I still have training with Indra later today."</p>
<p>"I think what you both went through today will be sufficient enough for today." Lexa motioned for one of her guards to come in. She told him to have a bath set up in Clarke's tent and to set up another bed as well.</p>
<p>"<em>Mochaf Heda</em>" Octavia said and bowed as she got up and left the tent.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Clarke and Lexa stayed quiet once Octavia left. Clarke picked at her food not knowing what to say next. She knew that she looked like shit and she felt like it too. She looked up at Lexa and her blue eyes met her green once again. Clarke studied her face and saw the worry flash in them. She could tell that Lexa was studying her and was fighting some battle in her head.</p>
<p>"Lexa I am okay. It all just happened at once." Clarke took a chance and grabbed her hand. She felt Lexa stiffen then relax. She half expected her to pull away and was glad she didn't.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you have to understand that I am not used to having someone I consider a friend. The last couple of weeks we have talked, have shown me that I am allowed to let people in." Lexa took a breath and Clarke just gave her hand a squeeze letting her know that she understood.</p>
<p>"When you walked in here it took everything I had to be the commander first and not Lexa. I have enjoyed getting to know you and learning about you. You are my friend, Clarke and I will worry about you because of that." Lexa took another breath to center herself. She still didn't know how Clarke felt towards her and she didn't want to rush anything.</p>
<p>"I understand that Lexa, I am glad that we have been able to get to this point. When I landed here on Earth, I was not expecting to find friends. I now have two that I care about." Clarke smiled at Lexa.</p>
<p>"Now before I completely pass out, we have things that need to be discussed." Lexa saw the switch from the Clarke she saw when they were alone, to the Clarke that everyone needed to see. As much as she wanted to continue the moment they were having Clarke was right.</p>
<p>"Where would you like to begin?"</p>
<p>"Well you should know that I am meeting with Kane in two days, in my tent to inform him that my mother is no longer leading Skaikru. I am taking over commander from this day forward and Kane will act as the leader in the shadows until we deal with Mount Weather." Clarke paused and waited to see how Lexa would take this news.</p>
<p>"Well that is good to hear. I should let you know that my scouts returned last night and informed me that your mother was trying to convince people that we were keeping you here against your will." It was now Lexa's turn to wait. She studied Clarke's face while she waited and she got lost in those blue eyes of hers.</p>
<p>"Why am I not surprised by either of those things?" She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.</p>
<p>She was not mad that Lexa had scouts watching Camp Jaha. She kinda already knew that. Her mother on the other hand was the problem. She had no idea how to handle her. It was her mother and she was already starting down a dangerous path by removing her from power in secret.</p>
<p>"Well I will cross that bridge when the time comes. For now I will make a trip to Camp Jaha tomorrow because it has been brought to my attention that I have not been there in two weeks." Lexa chuckled at this. She raised her eyebrow at Clarke and wondered how she had not noticed.</p>
<p>"That sounds like a good idea. If you want I can send Indra under orders that if anyone tries to keep you against your will she is to step in." She knew that was a long shot. She still didn't know how Indra felt about Clarke but something about her earlier talk with her made her offer this.</p>
<p>"If you think Indra will go for it then, I would like that. I'll have Octavia with me but a little extra back up wouldn't hurt." Clarke was thankful for the offer because if she was being honest with herself she was expecting just that thing to happen.</p>
<p>"Then that will happen, but with what happened today I think you would be fine especially with your general beside you." Clarke did a double take at what Lexa just said. How did she know that Clarke thought of Octavia that way?</p>
<p>"What do you mean by that Lexa?"</p>
<p>"Well I may or may not have been coming to find you this morning when I overheard you asking Octavia to stay close to you." Clarke couldn't believe what she was seeing. Lexa was blushing and she was shy about having heard this. It was the first time she saw Lexa in this light and it was cute.</p>
<p>"Oh well in that case, you could say that description is correct. I needed someone I could trust from Skaikru. I don't fully trust Bellamy. He is too headstrong and he doesn't think clearly. She was the only choice and I am happy with my decision."</p>
<p>"I think you made a wise choice by choosing her and appointing Kane as the lead of your camp. You are improving more and more as a leader Clarke." She meant every word she had just said. Clarke was coming into her own as a leader and she was making her own life for herself.</p>
<p>"<em>Mochaf Leksa</em>. That means a lot coming from you." It was Clarke's turn to blush.</p>
<p>She was not used to receiving that kind of praise from someone. Her mother had always told her she was not living up to her potential and she was not happy with anything Clarke did. The last person to give her such praise was her father. She instinctively started to play with the watch that was one her right wrist. He was always trying to build her up as much as he could. Even when she messed up on something small he would do the opposite of what Abby would. He took the time to talk with her and teach her things. He knew about the fighting she was doing on the Ark because he would be the one to clean the wounds. He always went to bat for her when Abby would start to lay in to her for her being distracted from her studies. She felt the tears start to fall as she went down memory lane.</p>
<p>Lexa saw the tears start to flow and was wondering what she had said to cause this. She moved out of her chair and kneel beside Clarke trying to get her attention. She turned Clarke's head to face her and saw the tears really flow. Lexa did something she never thought she would do again. She wrapped her arms around Clarke and hugged her. Clarke stiffened at first then sank into her embrace. Lexa just rubbed her back as soothingly as possible knowing Clarke would talk when she was ready.</p>
<p>"I am sorry Lexa…...my mind started thinking…...about….my father….and how different he….was from...my mom." Lexa managed to catch what she was saying through the sobs. Her heart started to hurt for Clarke. She motioned for one of the guards and told him that she was not to be disturbed and to not speak of anything he heard or saw. The guard nodded and left.</p>
<p>"It is okay Clarke you can talk to me." she spoke softly while rubbing her back.</p>
<p>"My dad was my best friend growing up. He always saw the good in me and tried to help me when he could. He would teach me everything about the Ark he could. He would joke and laugh with me." she took a breath.</p>
<p>"He was the complete opposite from my mother. She always expected me to be perfect. She forced me to study to be a doctor like she was. I hated doing it but I did because it was the only time she was decent to me." Lexa started to stand up and Clarke followed her. Lexa guided them to her bed so they could be more comfortable. She had a feeling Clarke needed to let this out and she was going to be there for her.</p>
<p>"I wanted so badly to make my mother proud that I did everything she wanted and it still wasn't enough for her. I wound up getting angry at her one day and storming out of our living area. That was the first time I met Bellamy. He took me to his mother and we talked. I wound up accidentally meeting Octavia too." She chuckled at this memory.</p>
<p>"What is funny Clarke?"</p>
<p>"Well the way I met Octavia was funny. You see on the Ark each family was only allowed one child. If they were found to have more than one they would be floated." She paused and looked at Lexa who was confused.</p>
<p>"Why would they only be allowed to have one kid? And what does it mean to be floated?" Clarke could tell that Lexa was trying to be supportive of her and she appreciated that.</p>
<p>"Well the reason for one child was a way to control how many people were living on the Ark at a given time. It helped manage the food we had and how much oxygen we were using."</p>
<p>"Well that is completely wrong to limit how many children a family should have. A family should be able to have as many as they want to make sure their bloodline continues on." Lexa said this with so much conviction that Clarke wondered if Lexa wanted kids someday.</p>
<p>"That is how it normally should be, but when we were up in space we had limited resources and they were running out. Anyone that tried to go against the council or broke the law would wind up being floated." Clarke watched as Lexa's face scrunched as she raised an eyebrow still trying to figure out what she meant. Clarke found another small thing that Lexa did cute. It was a sign that she was seeing the real Lexa.</p>
<p>"When someone was floated, they would be taken to a special room and shot into the open air of space. I watched as my dad was floated by my mother. She was the reason he died. She turned him in for trying to tell the people of the Ark that it was failing." Clarke was shaking again, this time it was in anger and rage.</p>
<p>"She is the main cause of all my pain and hurt growing up. She had this image in her head of me that I hated and didn't want to be." Lexa could tell something in Clarke was changing.</p>
<p>When she met her eyes she saw a fury that startled her. There was no way that what she was seeing in her eyes was a spirit of legend. A spirit that rivaled her own power. She felt the subtle nod from the commander spirit inside her. She pushed it away for now.</p>
<p>"When the battle is over Lexa, she will need dealt with eventually. She is a liability for us and this alliance we both would like to build."</p>
<p>"We will deal with that when the time comes Clarke and when that time comes I hope I am still there to assist you in that matter." That last line snapped Clarke out of her fury and rage. What did Lexa mean if she was here?</p>
<p>"Lexa what do you mean if you are still here?" Lexa cursed herself for the slip. Clarke had revealed so much to her tonight that she wanted nothing more to be there for Clarke but she knew what came with her position.</p>
<p>"I could die any day Clarke. I have a lot of enemies that would love to see my head on a spike. I don't take anything for granted and I live my life to the fullest every day. I have so many responsibilities and duties to my people that moments like this are rare." Clarke had never thought about it that way. All she was concerned about was surviving right now.</p>
<p>"Well as long as I am still here, I will make sure you are as well. You have gained a friend that will watch out for you Lexa. I won't betray you." Clarke grabbed her hands and held them in her own.</p>
<p>They locked eyes and Lexa was at a loss for words. She had never met someone that had told her what Clarke had. She was fighting back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She was studying Clarke's eyes for any sign of doubt or fear and there was no trace of such things. All she saw was confidence and raw power. Lexa smiled and pulled Clarke into a hug.</p>
<p>"Thank you Clarke. You don't know how much that means to me." She pulled back and smiled.</p>
<p>"You are welcome Lexa."</p>
<p>"Now If i remember correctly I have a bath waiting for me. As much as I would love to stay here and chat, I smell terrible." Clarke flashed a wicked grin at her and all Lexa could do was laugh.</p>
<p>"You do really smell awful. I will have a bath sent to you tent." The look of shock and awe on her face made Lexa completely break. She was holding her stomach because she was laughing so hard.</p>
<p>"Well that was not nice." Clarke said as she threw her jacket at Lexa and headed for the entrance. Before she left Clarke turned around and looked at Lexa.</p>
<p>"Hang on to that for me. I'll see you in the morning." With that Clarke walked out of Lexa's tent and headed for her own tent, leaving a stunned Lexa clutching her jacket.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Clarke's tent</strong>
</p>
<p>Clarke entered her tent and saw a steaming bath ready for her. She peeled the dried sweaty clothing from her body and made her way to the bath. The cool breeze hit her naked body and sent chills all over her body. She stepped into the tub and the contrast between the cool air and the heat of the water was enough to make her moan. She submerged herself in the water and felt every muscle in her body relax. She leaned her head back and sighed. She was content.</p>
<p>"A little warning next time you decide to strip butt ass naked would be nice." Octavia said from the opposite side of the tent. Clarke turned toward her and couldn't stop the blush that rose to her face.</p>
<p>"Sorry O, the bath just looked so welcoming and did you forget that this was my tent?" she smirked at her best friend.</p>
<p>"No I didn't not. Just some warning would be nice if you plan to do that again. All though I must say Lexa doesn't know what she is missing.</p>
<p>Clarke almost jumped out of her bath. What the hell was Octavia talking about. There was no way Octavia knew anything about her feelings for Lexa. Before she could even ask Octavia spoke.</p>
<p>"Come on Clarke it is obvious that she cares for you. She couldn't take her eyes off you when we walked into her tent. She may have been trying hard to keep her face calm but she failed terribly. I'm surprised that she didn't throw Indra and I out to check you out herself." She laughed at the stunned state Clarke was in.</p>
<p>"I may not have seen all your interactions with her Clarke, but today told me enough. There is something there between you two." Clarke sunk into the tub fully to try and hide from her and all she could do was laugh. She rolled over to allow Clarke some privacy.</p>
<p>Clarke couldn't believe what she had just heard. Octavia knew more than she was letting on and that was frightening for her. Clarke knew that she had feelings for Lexa but she was hesitant to start anything with her. She was afraid to start something and run the risk of losing her. For now Clarke was going to keep Lexa at an arm's length and see where it went.</p>
<p>She raised herself back up out of the water and looked over to where Octavia was laying. She smiled at the scene. Octavia was sprawled out on the extra bed and seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Clarke knew she would not be far behind her once she got out of this tub.</p>
<p>Her mind drifted back to the training area and she remembered that Octavia and her moved like different people. It was oddly thrilling the way she felt with all the blood from the jerks running down her face. It didn't really hit her what Octavia and she had done till they were walking through the camp. She saw all the staring and the people talking. She noticed the way everyone avoided them like they were death walking. She would glance over and look at Octavia and she would see a crazed look in her eyes and all she could do was smile. They both were feeling the same way.</p>
<p>When she walked into Lexa's tent and saw the look of shock and worry in her eyes it snapped her out of her bloodlust state she was in. The more she studied her the more she saw the restraint Lexa was using. Clarke knew Octavia was right, she just didn't know how to feel about it and if she was ready for that commitment just yet.</p>
<p>Clarke realized the water was starting to go cold, so she quickly washed the remaining blood off her that she missed and washed her hair. Before she got out she looked over to Octavia and saw she was still passed out. She quickly stood up and wrapped the towel around her body and moved to her side of the tent. Once she was behind a curtain that had been hung she dried off and found some clothes to sleep in.</p>
<p>She climbed into her bed and sank right into it. She couldn't remember the last time a bed felt so good. Every muscle in her body ached and she could tell now that tomorrow would be a very stiff day. As she dozed off she felt the presence of someone sharing her mind with her but before she could think about it much more she passed out even though the sun was just beginning to set.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Prologue Pt.2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clarke was standing in a foggy room surrounded by people she didn't recognize. Each person she looked at just studied her intently. There were eleven people sitting in throne, like chairs in a "U" shaped pattern. There were six men and five women alternating away from the main throne. Sitting on said throne was a woman who had long black hair and brown eyes. She had a tan complexion to her skin and she was staring directly at her.</p>
<p>No one was saying a word. She was trying to figure out what was going on and who these people were. She looked around at the room they were in and noticed that it looked more like a throne room. She felt a presence next to her and when she turned and looked she was met by a face she did not recognize but by the shared gasp the room let out, she assumed this person was important. The woman on the main throne spoke in Trigedasleng to the mystery woman beside her.</p>
<p>"<em>Chit are yu doing em Wanheda?</em>"(What are you doing here Wanheda?)</p>
<p>"<em>Ai laik hir kos em gou ste coming soon</em>." (I am here because her time is coming soon.)</p>
<p>"<em>Are yu sure she ste ait Won? Oso are still unsure kom em badannes gon Leksa</em>"(Are sure she is the right one? We are still unsure of her loyalty to Lexa)</p>
<p>"<em>She ste Won. Ai souda hon daun Ai ban op nau.</em>" (She is the one. I must take my leave now.)</p>
<p>Before she knew it the woman beside her was gone and the woman on the main throne was staring at her. Clarke had heard Lexa's name be mentioned but was unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The woman in the middle rose from her throne and strode towards her. Clarke stood straighter under her gaze as she circled around her. She came to a stop right in front of her and Clarke saw that she was slightly taller than Lexa.</p>
<p>"We will see if what <em>Wanheda</em> says is true." she said to Clarke.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Clarke woke from her slumber with a jolt. She had no clue what she had just witnessed or what the mystery woman was talking about. She looked around the room and found Octavia still asleep. She threw the furs off her and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She needed to get out of this tent quickly. She threw on some clothes and her boots and went for the entrance. When she stepped outside she saw the sun starting to rise. The only thought on her mind was Lexa and needing to clear her head. She took off at a solid jog to get her blood pumping. She made it to her tent quickly and looked at the guards. They just nodded at her which must have meant Lexa was awake. Clarke stepped into her tent and looked around for her. There was no sign of her.</p>
<p>Clarke made her way to where her bed was and saw her starting to stir. Clarke was torn as to what to do. She knew that Lexa would most likely have a dagger stashed under her pillow. A plan was starting to form in her head. She looked around and found a pillow lying on a rug. She grabbed that and went to the middle of the tent. Once she was crouched and protecting anything she could she went for it.</p>
<p>"Lexa are you awake?" no response. Maybe just a little louder this time.</p>
<p>"Lexa, I need to talk to you." that got her attention and just like Clarke thought a dagger came wising toward her chest. It sank into the pillow as Lexa threw herself out of bed to attack.</p>
<p>She almost tripped over herself once she realized it was Clarke and not someone trying to kill her. Clarke couldn't help but stare. Lexa was wearing a black silk nightgown that did not leave much to her imagination. Her hair was flowing free and came down to about mid back. Clarke was stunned at her natural beauty.</p>
<p>"What are you doing here Clarke and why did you wake me like that?" Clarke couldn't tell if she was upset or just tired.</p>
<p>"I needed a distraction from this crazy dream I had and was coming to see if you wanted to go for a run?"she figured that a half truth would not hurt right now. Clarke still had no idea what she had seen was.</p>
<p>Lexa sighed and shot her a smile. She sank back down to sit on her bed and looked at her.</p>
<p>"Well I am not sure to be proud or worried that you knew to protect yourself before waking me." Clarke gave a half hearted laugh at this.</p>
<p>"Well I figured it would be smart and I had a hunch that you sleep with a dagger close to you." Lexa chuckled at this. Clarke was definitely smart when it came to observing things about her.</p>
<p>"Well now that I am awake, give me a second and we can go on that run. I'll show you one of my favorite places around here." Clarke nodded at her and turned around to let Lexa change in peace.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They exited the tent and she fell in line beside Lexa. She wasn't sure why she wanted to be close to Lexa besides the fact her name was mentioned in that strange dream she had. Once they had cleared the camp and entered the woods they took off a steady pace. Clarke was having a hard time keeping pace with Lexa.</p>
<p>Lexa was surprised when she was woken by Clarke this morning. Her request was even more interesting considering Clarke had never shown the want or need to go running. She knew something was bothering her and no matter how hard Clarke was trying to hide it, Lexa knew something was up.</p>
<p>Lexa was impressed by how Clarke kept pace even though she was struggling. She wove her way through the forest heading for a waterfall that was close to camp. Clarke stayed about half a step behind her as they neared closer to the spot.</p>
<p>They burst through the edge of the woods and came to a stop. Lexa watched as Clarke took in the beauty of the surrounding area. The pure awe and joy all over her face told Lexa all she needed to know and she was happy to share this with her.</p>
<p>"This is beautiful Lexa." She said as she took everything in.</p>
<p>To her right was a waterfall that was falling over the cliff above with a steady flow. In front of her was a cove of water that slowly turned into a river and ran to her left. Across the bank was another section of forest.</p>
<p>Clarke was able to forget about the dream she had and the uncertainty for the coming days if only for a little while. She took a breath and relaxed for the first time in days. She sank down onto the rocky beach and just watched everything that was going on.</p>
<p>Lexa came and sat down right next to her and didn't say a word. Clarke was happy for this. It was calming having her here. They sat like this for half an hour just slowing their breathing and coming down from the adrenaline of the run.</p>
<p>"Clarke, why did you really wake me this morning?"</p>
<p>Clarke knew this question was coming. She had to admit to herself that it was odd to run straight to Lexa just as the sun was rising and to top it off she was asleep.</p>
<p>"Weird dream" that was all Clarke was able to say. She didn't know how to approach the subject of the dream yet.</p>
<p>"And this dream was weird enough for you to come find me and wake me to go on a run?" Lexa knew Clarke was hiding something but she didn't want to push if Clarke didn't want to talk.</p>
<p>"Yes it was. I am sorry that I woke you but I needed to see a friendly face that wasn't Octavia." She was telling a half truth. She couldn't shake the doubt that was cast over her in that room. That is what worried her the most. People she didn't know were doubting her.</p>
<p>"Okay but next time at least let the guards announce you. I really don't want to accidentally impale you." She laughed as she got up and made her way to the water.</p>
<p>Clarke just watched as Lexa shed her clothing and turned to find her starting. Lexa winked at her and dove in. Clarke was stunned both by the pure beauty that was Lexa and the audacity she had to do that. Every curve was now imprinted in her mind.</p>
<p>"Are you going to join me or just sit there like a lost puppy?" Lexa was full on smirking at her now.</p>
<p>Clarke wanted to join her but her lack of swimming knowledge made her hesitate. She figured that Lexa would be able to help her but she was still nervous. She slowly got up and made her way to where Lexa shed her clothes. She looked at the pile of garments and sighed. She shed her clothes and waded her way into the water.</p>
<p>The water was surprisingly lukewarm to the touch. She waded in the water till her breasts were submerged and she stood still content to stay here where she felt safe. Her eyes never left Lexa's as she stood there. Her head was just above water as she was treading water. Her green eyes looked alive and showed a tint of darkness to them. Lexa started to move to her and she was frozen by her gaze. She swam till they were close together and Lexa grabbed her by the hands and started to pull her further out. Clarke started to panic.</p>
<p>Lexa saw the panic in her eyes and now was wondering if this was a good idea and she paused.</p>
<p>"I'm guessing since you were in space they didn't have a place to swim?" She asked softly, trying to calm Clarke's nerves.</p>
<p>"You would be correct. Just be slow and don't let go of me please. Last time I was near water Octavia got hurt by a giant water creature." Lexa chuckled but never let go.</p>
<p>She slowly brought Clark closer to her. Lexa knew that Clarke was scared. She had never seen her like this and she realized that this was Clarke at a vulnerable point. She held on tight as they moved to the deeper water. Lexa was able to tell that Clarke knew how to tread water but she didn't want to go out too far.</p>
<p>"Is this okay?" she asked as she moved behind her and wrapped her arms under Clarke's.</p>
<p>Clarke nodded not trusting her voice at the moment. She was starting to calm from the nerves of the water but a whole new set nerves were starting to flare up. She could feel every curve of Lexa against hers. They were skin to skin in the open water. Her skin was starting to warm up at the closeness of Lexa. Clarke knew this was nothing more than Lexa helping her but she couldn't help what she was feeling.</p>
<p>Clarke turned around and faced Lexa and relaxed her head on her shoulder giving in to the comfort she offered. She smelled the water and a mixture of pine and earth. It was the best smell she had ever known and one she would not forget. Clarke continued to relax and they slowly moved back to where they could touch.</p>
<p>Lexa for the first time was content. She knew that this should not be happening but she couldn't bring herself to stop it. There was something about the embrace they were in that felt right. They were standing now, and were still locked in their embrace and she just took in how Clarke felt and every little detail that she could. Lexa knew she was in serious trouble when it came to her. Her walls were completely down for Clarke and she knew it.</p>
<p>"Lexa?" Clarke whispered to her, moving her head back to look at her.</p>
<p>"Yes Clarke?" She locked eyes with Clarke and could see doubt or uncertainty in them.</p>
<p>"In the dream I had, I was in a room that was shrouded by fog. There were twelve people in this room all sat on thrones. I don't know who they were. Out of nowhere someone appeared beside me and everyone in the room gasped. There was this woman who sat on the throne in the middle of the others, who spoke to this woman in your language. I don't know what they were saying but your name was mentioned and the name <em>Wanheda</em>." Lexa stiffened at the mention of that name.</p>
<p>There was no way that spirit should be around. No one in her history had mentioned anything of her since she was last seen on earth. She was only known in legend. Lexa had more questions than answers.</p>
<p>She looked back at Clarke who was starting at her. Her eyes showed signs of worry still. This dream had really shook her and it was obvious to Lexa. She nodded for her to continue as she relaxed back into Clarke.</p>
<p>"That woman disappeared after that conversation and the woman who acted like the leader, came and studied me closely." Clarke took a breath and steady herself.</p>
<p>"She said that we would have to see if what <em>Wanheda</em> says is true." she pulled Lexa closer.</p>
<p>Lexa thought about this for a moment. The woman who Clarke saw in the dream sounded close to how the first commander looked. Clarke should not have been able to see her unless she was chosen by Wanheda for a purpose. Lexa had no idea what that purpose was or how it would affect the alliance they had created.</p>
<p>"I have no answer for you Clarke. What you have told me should not go anywhere but between us till we figure out more." She locked eyes with Clarke before she spoke again.</p>
<p>"The spirit <em>Wanheda</em> is an ancient spirit and a powerful one. There are many unknowns that come with her return. I will have to do some research to learn more. But Clarke this is something I would not dwell on." Clarke nodded in response.</p>
<p>Lexa looked up at the position of the sun and saw it was now full on, daylight. She knew that someone would come looking for them shortly. She had brought guards with them and told them to keep their distance but stay on alert.</p>
<p>"We should probably head back to camp. You have to go back to Camp Jaha today." Lexa nudged Clarke and headed for shore.</p>
<p>"Ugh don't remind me. I am glad you are sending Indra with me and Octavia."</p>
<p>"I hope that she will be able to help you today. I think your little display yesterday proved how capable you are of holding your own." she smiled at Clarke as they put their clothing back on. She would not forget this adventure any time soon.</p>
<p>"We will have to see Lexa. I still feel like I have so much to prove to you and your people. Let alone make my people see that my mother is not the right choice." her shoulders sagged as she finished putting her jacket on.</p>
<p>She felt that she was not doing enough and she was worried the game Octavia and her had started would blow up in their face. She knew her mother would not go down easy and that she would have a hard time dealing with that. She looked up at Lexa and saw the relaxed features on her face and she realized that she already had allies behind her for anything that would come at her.</p>
<p>"Well let's get back to camp so I can change and we can plan for today." she said, turning to the woods and started walking.</p>
<p>Lexa walked beside her and thought about all the new information she had learned. Clarke was definitely sent down here for more than one reason. The dream she had experienced was odd and intriguing to her. If the commander's spirit had talked to her along with Wanheda that could mean Clarke was a part of something she was unaware of. She hated not knowing what had been said. She had so many questions to ask and she had a feeling when she asked them she would not get the full truth.</p>
<p>It took them about thirty minutes to walk back to made their way to their respective tents to change and wash up. Lexa had told Clarke to come meet her when she was changed and to bring Octavia with her. Clarke nodded and made her way to her tent.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She stepped through the flap of the tent and was met by a very upset Octavia.</p>
<p>"Where have you been Clarke? I woke up and you were nowhere to be found. No one knows where Lexa is either. Indra is pissed." Clarke had never seen Octavia so pissed off before. It was kinda scary to witness.</p>
<p>"Calm down O, everything is fine. I was with Lexa all morning. We went for a run and just got back." she said as she started to change into her normal attire for the day.</p>
<p>"Indra is still pissed that she was not made aware of where Lexa went. She was ready to send a search party after her." Clarke chuckled as she stepped out from behind the curtain fully changed.</p>
<p>"Well let's go stop her from doing so. Grab all your gear." with that Clarke strode out of her tent and headed for Lexa's. She smiled when Octavia came trotting up next to her.</p>
<p>"So are you going to tell me why you decided to go on a run and take Lexa with you."</p>
<p>"Nope." she smirked at Octavia and she just shook her head at her.</p>
<p>"Well I hope the yelling at you might get from Indra was worth it. She was looking for you this morning you know." Clarke wondered why on earth Indra would be looking for her.</p>
<p>"Do you know why?"</p>
<p>"No clue. She came to the tent this morning and saw you were gone. So she headed to Lexa's and found that she was also gone and that sent her into a furious panic. It was weird to see." Octavia chuckled.</p>
<p>They arrived at Lexa's tent and were let inside by the guards. Neither of them were prepared for how Indra was acting right now.</p>
<p>"Did you even think to let your general know where you were going? What would have happened if you had been captured by <em>Azegeda</em>? You have to think about those things before you take off Commander." Indra was laying into Lexa and Clarke felt bad because she was the one that asked her to come with her.</p>
<p>Clarke went to speak up but she locked eyes with Lexa and saw the slight shake of her head in warning to wait. Clarke stepped back to stand shoulder to shoulder with Octavia. She looked at her and saw the amusement in her eyes.</p>
<p>"You are correct Indra. I had twelve guards come with me. They surrounded the area I was at. I was taking the steps I thought were necessary." At the mention of the guards Clarke's face started to go red as the memory of the swimming came into her mind.</p>
<p>"So judging by your face you didn't know about the guards and something definitely happened." Octavia whispered to her. In response Clarke sent an elbow to her gut and smiled at the grunt she let out.</p>
<p>"Got it Clarke." she whispered again.</p>
<p>"Now if you are satisfied, Indra there is something else that must be done today." she motioned for Clarke and Octavia to come forward.</p>
<p>"Clarke is going to be returning to their camp to check on the status of things. She is taking Octavia with her and I would like you to go with them." Indra did a double take between Clarke and Lexa. Clarke saw the brief smile on her face, like she had an idea of where Lexa and Clarke were.</p>
<p>"I will go with them Commander. Clarke and Octavia have shown they are willing to work with us and they proved they can hold their own. Speaking of which." Indra moved to the table and turned around holding two bundles.</p>
<p>"Since you two were able to hold your own in a fight, it is customary for you two to receive your first weapons." She handed a bundle to each of them and they looked at Lexa. She nodded at them.</p>
<p>Clarke opened hers and what lay inside was a pair of twin daggers that were each twelve inches long. She took one in each hand and was amazed at how light they felt. She played with them testing her movements with them and how they moved with her. She looked back in the roll and saw two leg straps for each dagger. She grabbed the stapps and put one on each thigh. She slid the dagger in place and surprisingly they felt perfect. She saw Octavia doing the same thing.</p>
<p>Indra pulled Octavia over the side of the room and handed her a bigger roll. Clarke couldn't see what it was but Lexa came forward and pulled her to the side.</p>
<p>"Clarke there is another thing that comes with the daggers. In our culture there is a mentor for some warriors. Those warriors are called seconds. Octavia is now Indra's. She will still be by your side as I have spoken to her and filled her in on some of your plans." Clarke nodded as they moved to a room off to the side of her tent.</p>
<p>"If you are okay with it I would personally like to offer to train you in our ways and fighting styles. You told me when we first went to that clearing that you wanted to get rid of your gun." Clarke nodded again going along with where she was going.</p>
<p>Lexa grabbed the bigger bundle that was sitting on a table in this room. She turned around and presented it to her. Clarke took it and opened it. Inside was a sword and sheath. The sheath was jet black with blue stitched around the edges of the sheathe. The handle was wrapped in criss-crossing blue and black leather. She unsheathed the sword and it was about twenty-four inches long and felt perfect in her hand. It was perfectly balanced and had a good weight to it. She sheathed the sword and saw a new jacket laying behind Lexa.</p>
<p>Lexa followed her eyes and smiled. She grabbed the jacket and handed it to her. Clarke felt the weight of the jacket and noticed that it was made of a reinforced leather. It was almost identical to the once she wore right now. It was black leather and was stitched together with blue. She shed the jacket she wore and replaced it with this one. She felt a warmth and comfort come from the new jacket. She tested her mobility in it and was pleasantly happy with how it moved with her.</p>
<p>"I would be honored to learn from you Lexa." she said strapping the sword on her back over her left shoulder.</p>
<p>Lexa's breath caught in her throat at the sight in front of her. The new additions made Clarke look even better. She walked around her and studied how everything fit. She was glad she had these made for her.</p>
<p>"Then it will be done Clarke. It is a lot of work and I know you will be up for it." She smiled and pulled her into a quick hug, proud of her friend.</p>
<p>They moved back into the main room and Clarke looked over at Octavia and saw a sword strapped to her back and some new armor to go along with it. Octavia gave her a once over and smiled. They stood in front of Lexa with Indra as she moved to her throne.</p>
<p>"Indra as you know Clarke is the true leader of Skaikru in my eyes. I have offered her to become my second just as Octavia is yours and she has accepted. I know this is against how we normally choose our seconds but Clarke has proven that she will be able to lead her people in the coming war. She is already working on a way to make sure all of Skaikru will survive and work with us." she looked at Clarke and smiled at her.</p>
<p>"Clarke and Octavia have both shown they are more than capable of going back and forth between both clans and still have the interest of both in mind. It is my pleasure to have you two working with us." she stood and they both knelt in front of her. She smiled and made her way down to meet them.</p>
<p>"You can rise." they both rose and smiled at each other.</p>
<p>"Now you three have some business to attend too." she motioned for them to leave.</p>
<p>They all bowed and made their way outside of her tent. Lexa was happy with how everything went. Clarke was improving quickly and she had made an impression on her. There was a reason she was shown that dream and Lexa needed answers. She made her way to her bed and got comfortable and started to meditate.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Lexa found herself in a familiar throne room. She had been here multiple times since she became the commander. This time it looked a little different. She had not seen all the previous commanders since the day she took the throne. In the middle of the "U' was the first commander. She made her way to the middle of the room and knelt and bowed to her.</p>
<p>"Lexa it has been a while since you last came here willingly." the woman said as she made the motion for her to stand.</p>
<p>"<em>Bekka Pramheda</em>, it is good to see you again. I am sorry I have given you so much trouble lately." she smiled as she bowed.</p>
<p>"Well at least you are awake this time." she chuckled as she sat on her throne.</p>
<p>"Yeah that is a plus. I'm not scared shitless this time." her response caused a chuckle from all the previous commanders in the room.</p>
<p>"Anyway I was hoping you could tell me why Clarke was brought here to this room?" She was tired of waiting and playing catch up.</p>
<p>The mood of the room switched on a dime. All the other commanders looked at each other as if waiting for one of them to speak. No one of them had expected Lexa to know about this and were not aware that Lexa and Clarke were that close to the other.</p>
<p>"Well Lexa as much as we would love to give you a reason for why she was here, we don't have one because we didn't bring her here. That goes to the spirit of Wanheda, someone who we thought was long gone." Becca said looking around the room as they all nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>"How <em>Wanheda</em> works is still a mystery to us. But we do know that Clarke has been chosen by her for something. What that is we have no idea and how it involves you is still to be determined." Becca continued as Lexa took all this in.</p>
<p>"We are wondering what your relationship with Clarke is and if she can be trusted?" There was the question Lexa had been hoping to avoid.</p>
<p>She knew that the commanders had access to her mind and would occasionally offer advice but since Clarke came into her life they had been quiet. They had only nudged her when she was talking to Clarke about how her mother had treated her. It was then when she saw the fury, rage, and blood lust that had been attributed to Wanheda in legend. She hadn't dwelled on that any since then but now was taking it as a sign that something was up.</p>
<p>"Well Becca if you must know, as of right now we are allies and friends. She has shown that she can fight and lead. She and her general Octavia took on twelve fully trained Trikru warriors when they were provoked and came away bruised and covered in blood from said warrior. All of those warriors had shattered knees and split heads from the damage they dished out." She took a moment to center herself before she continued.</p>
<p>"Clarke is also currently in the process of overthrowing her peoples old ways in favor of how she and the original <em>Skaikru</em> operated when they had to survive before the rest came down here. Clarke has already established a plan for this and I fully support her in it because she has shown that she is capable of making the choice needed to ensure her people live and can coexist with us." Lexa knew she didn't have to go into all this detail but the more she talked about Clarke the more proud she became of her and the more she started to fall for her.</p>
<p>"As we speak she is on her way back to her camp with Octavia and Indra to get an update on the dealings of that camp. She has successfully had one of her own people infiltrate the mountain. Clarke and I have been going over strategy every day trying to prepare for this battle and rescue her people and mine from the mountain." Feeling like she had said enough she stopped talking and waited for the response.</p>
<p>Becca took all of this information in and was impressed by this Clarke. She could tell that Lexa was falling for this girl. She was not upset with it, she was glad that Lexa might actually find love again after the brutal way her last love was taken from her. Clarke sounded like she would be perfect for Lexa as an ally and mate. She looked around the room and read every face there. Everyone was telling her the same story. Clarke had done nothing but prove herself worthy for Lexa and that she was trustworthy. Becca regretted that she had to say what she was about to say but she needed to remind Lexa of her responsibilities to the <em>Kongeda</em>.</p>
<p>"That is good to hear Lexa, but I must remind you that the well being of the <em>Kongeda</em> must come first. I understand that is a tough task for you at your age. Everything you have done so far has ensured that the <em>Kongeda</em> is strong. Make sure it stays that way." Becca said and she saw the sag form in Lexa's shoulders.</p>
<p>"However" Lexa and the other commanders looked at her.</p>
<p>"If your relationship with Clarke were to progress further, you will find no objections by us." All of the commanders nodded in agreement with Becca.</p>
<p>"There is this legend from before my time that the Spirit of The Commander and the Spirit of Wanheda would one day work as one to bring an everlasting peace to our world. They would be able to create a balance that no one had seen since before the collapse of the old world." Lexa looked at her in confusion but continued to listen.</p>
<p>"Everyone of the commanders before you were told of this legend and no one of them were able to live long enough to see if it was true. With Wanheda's appearance and Clarke coming into your life, we believe that this may be the time this legend is fulfilled. We will do everything in our power to try and help you Lexa, but if Clarke does become the host for Wanheda then we are in uncharted territory." Becca rose and made her way in front of Lexa.</p>
<p>"This will be that last time you see all of us Lexa. It has been decided that I will personally be helping you along the way. All of the commanders have given me their knowledge and what worked and didn't work for them. Today starts a new line of the commanders with you. It is time for change and you have spearheaded that from day one. Once you come out of your meditation, it will just be you and I." Lexa smiled at all of the commanders in the room and thanked everyone one of them for offering advice to her. It was a bittersweet moment for her.</p>
<p>Lexa looked back at Becca and then they were standing alone in the throne room of Polis. She looked around and everyone was gone. Becca looked at her and smiled.</p>
<p>"It has begun Lexa. A new beginning for our people." she said as she laid a hand on her shoulder.</p>
<p>Lexa came out of her meditation and adjusted to the light. There was food waiting for her and she made her way over to it. She sat down and started eating and almost jumped out of her skin when she heard Becca tell her she will do well.</p>
<p>"Well that was new." She shook her head and chuckled to herself. She ate in silence waiting for Clarke to return tonight as planned.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Camp Jaha</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Clarke's Return</strong>
</p>
<p>Clarke followed behind Octavia and next to Indra. They had decided to pull their hoods up to block the sun from their eyes. As they approached the gates of Camp Jaha, Octavia lowered her hood and called for them to open the gates. The gates slowly opened allowing her to take in the progress of any had been made.</p>
<p>She saw the beginning of what was supposed to be a farm, the beginnings of a training area and the start of an armory of sorts. Taking in how little progress her people had made made her stomach ball up in a knot. Her people were not making any progress in her absence and she would most likely attribute that to her mother's lack of knowledge outside of the medical field. They made their way inside the gates and were greeted by Kane, Raven and her mother.</p>
<p>She had not been recognized yet due to her facial features being covered and the bruises still hiding some of her face. They had planned for Octavia to do all the talking to begin with so Clarke could get a read on how everyone was acting. She figured that if no one knew she was here then no one would try to hide anything.</p>
<p>Abby stepped forward and looked at their entourage looking for any sign of Clarke. When she didn't see her she started talking.</p>
<p>"Octavia it is good to see you again. Is Clarke with you or is she still being held captive by the grounders." it took all Clarke had to not say something to her mother. She reached over and touched Indra slowly to let her know to be quiet for now.</p>
<p>"It is good to see you as well Abby, always a pleasure." she had to hide her laugh at the response. Octavia sure had a way with her words.</p>
<p>"And Clarke is safe and currently in talks with the commander about the upcoming battle. She sends her regards." Clarke saw the ease come over everyone but Abby.</p>
<p>"How am I supposed to believe you Octavia? We have not seen or heard from her in weeks. Every time you come here you say the same thing over and over. How do I know that the bitch of a commander isn't holding her against her will and just telling you to tell us everything is fine. How do we know that you haven't betrayed us and joined them?" Clarke was starting to feel her anger rise and her vision was starting to cloud.</p>
<p>Her mother knew nothing about Lexa or her. She felt Indra touch her hand as a silent warning. Clarke resisted for now.</p>
<p>"You will have to take my word for what it is Abby, the truth Clarke is safe and is there under her own wishes. She is doing everything she can to make sure all of us survive this war." Octavia rose her voice as she spoke those last words making sure everyone heard her.</p>
<p>"How does she know what is right for us? She is nothing but a teenager. She sent Bellamy into the mountain and she has not once checked on us here. That bitch has twisted her mind and made her think that what she is doing is the best for all of us." As her mother kept talking, her fury and rage was rising.</p>
<p>Clarke could feel it consuming her. She was becoming something else. Indra tried to calm her but it was to no avail. She flung herself off her saddle and made her way to the front of their party. She kept her hood up and made sure her eyes and hair were still concealed when she looked up at her mother.</p>
<p>"You would be wise to watch your tongue when speaking about <em>Heda</em>." She said with a deadly calm. Clarke didn't recognize her own voice.</p>
<p>Everyone went silent and looked at her. By this point Indra was behind her as was Octavia. She felt their presence and it offered a reassuring calm amidst all her rage and fury.</p>
<p>"Who do you think you are? I can talk and say anything I want. Your bitch of a commander has kidnapped my daughter and brainwashed her." Abby went to move toward her.</p>
<p>"I would stop where you are if you want to walk out here mother." Abby paused as Clarke removed her hood.</p>
<p>The hush that fell over the gathered crowd was eerie. In front of them stood a changed Clarke. No longer was the Clarke that came down from the ark with them here. In front of them was Leader Clarke. Her face showed no emotion.</p>
<p>Abby looked at her daughter and didn't recognize her. Clarke's hair had gotten longer and showed signs of braids that were able to be made with her hair. Her blond hair still had traces of the dried blood in it. Her face showed battle scars from the lumps of some fight she was in. She stood straighter and stoic. Abby looked at the weapons strapped to her and took a step back. She was slightly frightened by the person in front of her. She looked in her eyes and saw the blue that was normally bright was now a darker shade of blue. Abby had only seen that shade of blue in Clarke's eyes once and that was when she had been in a rage of fury at her shortly after her father was floated.</p>
<p>"Clarke what have they done to you?" Clarke chuckled at the question her mother presented to her.</p>
<p>"They have done nothing to me, mother. The commander you speak ill of has done nothing but work with me to make sure both of our people can survive this war. The commander you despise has made sure I was watched out for and that we were free to learn from her people." Clarke took a step closer to her mother.</p>
<p>"The commander has been nothing but gracious since I made the alliance with her to make sure we did not die. It seems from the looks of things that you are the one that has issues with this alliance." She took another step closer. Clarke was seething on the inside.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you have to see that she doesn't care about us. She is using you for her gain." Abby was trying to back away but there was no room to as the crowd had blocked her way back.</p>
<p>"No mother, I am trying to make sure that all of us survive. I have sacrificed so much already to make sure this alliance came to pass. I have done what I needed to to help us." Clarke caught Raven move forward out of the corner of her eye. She saw the shock on her face out how Clarke looked. She shot her a quick smirk.</p>
<p>"Does letting them kill one of our own count as doing what was needed." Abby spat at her. She saw Raven's head sink and a part of Clarke's heart chipped away.</p>
<p>"Finn murdered eighteen of their people. He had to pay for what he did. I will carry the weight of ending his life myself with me forever. I killed Finn out of mercy. I struck the death blow and that is on my shoulders. It will torture me for the rest of my life." She looked over at Raven who had tears in her eyes.</p>
<p>"You may not know this mother but when you and that damn council sent us down here, us sent us all to die. When we didn't die, we had to do what was necessary to survive. I gave the order to burn three hundred of the Trikru alive for us to survive." she felt Indra tense behind her then relax.</p>
<p>"I was able to get this alliance even though I did that. The commander was able to look past that once I proved we were valuable to them. We showed them a way to save their people from being reapers. This alliance will only work if we all work together." She saw the people behind her mother start to buy into what she was saying.</p>
<p>"You are still the Chancellor to our people, but I am The leader of Skaikru to the commander. With that comes the responsibility to make the tough choice that you can not make mother. You may think that I am just a teenager but I have gotten us to this point. It is time for you to accept that or get left behind." She was now face to face with her mother.</p>
<p>Clarke was staring daggers into her mother's eyes daring her to do something. Clarke saw the twitch in her mother's shoulder's and saw the smack coming. She grabbed her mother's arm, twisted and drug her over her shoulder and planted a knee on her chest. Her mother was staring up at her in utter shock.</p>
<p>"I am no longer that little girl you can control. I am the commander of Skaikru and you will respect me as such." She looked over at the guards that patrolled that area and pointed at two of them. They made their way over to her.</p>
<p>"Take her to the airlock. You two will stand guard until I tell you otherwise." They nodded and quickly picked Abby off the ground and grabbed one arm each , and started walking her to the airlock.</p>
<p>"NO ONE WILL FOLLOW YOU CLARKE! I AM THE LEADER OF OUR PEOPLE AND YOU HAVE NO SAY OVER US!" Abby screamed at the top of her lungs as she was being drug away.</p>
<p>Clarke looked down and saw the chancellor's pin had been ripped off her mother's collar in the struggle. She picked it up and blew the dirt off of it. She looked around at the crowd and laid eyes on Kane. She walked towards where he was standing and stopped in front of him.</p>
<p>She grabbed his hand and put the pin in his palm and closed his fist.</p>
<p>"Hold on to this. We have to play this right. My mother still is the Chancellor because she was elected to that position. She can play her games till the time is right. We will talk soon." She whispered as she hugged him. She let go and walked back to where she was originally standing.</p>
<p>"For now Abigail Griffin is still your Chancellor. I will be making all of the decisions for Skaikru when it comes to the dealings with the Trikru. I would encourage all of you to start to venture outside of these walls and try to learn their ways. They can help you fix that poor excuse for a farm and help you learn new ways to survive." Clarke could tell no one wanted to move after the display she put on.</p>
<p>Raven was the first to move as she made her way over to stand in front of her. She saw the swing coming but didn't flinch. She prepared mentally for the blow as best as she could but it didn't work. She was hit with a force that made her go down to a knee.</p>
<p>Indra started to move as did Octavia but stopped as they saw the outstretched hand being offered by Raven. Clarke looked up and saw a smirk on her face. She spit out the blood from the reopened wound on her lip and grabbed the hand. She was pulled up and now stood face to face with Raven.</p>
<p>"I guess I deserved that one." she chuckled as she massaged her jaw and mouth.</p>
<p>"Damn right you did but even I can see what you are trying to do Clarke. I may still not be over Finn but I can see it." Raven pulled her into a hug.</p>
<p>"Who knew you could be so cold. I mean you shoulder tossed your own mother." she whispered to her.</p>
<p>Clarke chuckled at her as they pulled apart.</p>
<p>"Well she kinda deserved it. It won't get any easier between us. I have a feeling this won't be the end of her bullshit." Raven laughed and now stood beside her.</p>
<p>"That is all for now. You can return to what you were doing." She said to the crowd that still had dispersed.</p>
<p>The crowd slowly dispersed and went about their own doings. Kane came up to her and smiled at her. She started to relax as the rage subsided. That was twice now that had happened when dealing with her mother. It was odd to her. She felt like someone was there with her and that voice that spoke sounded like her but was not her.</p>
<p>"Well Clarke I think you made an impression. Probably not the one you wanted but the one that was needed." He looked over at Octavia and nodded his head at her and did the same to Indra.</p>
<p>"I did something that is for sure. Whether it was the right thing or not is still to be determined. In the meantime I need to be brought up to speed on how things are going here because from what I have seen it is not good."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Kane walked them around the area and filled them in on what things were going right and what was not. The farm was a shit show, the ammo supply would be almost used up by the end of the battle, the ark only was able to provide enough power for the medical area and a few surrounding buildings. Raven and Wick had managed to use parts from the ark and drop ship to make a decent workshop.</p>
<p>The more Clarke saw and was filled in, the more her stomach twisted. She was now trying to figure out the best way to help her people while her mother was still in charge. Everywhere she looked it was the same story. Her people didn't know how to survive down here. They were doing the best with the damn earth skills they had been taught but that was not enough.</p>
<p>They were now standing in front of Raven workshop and Kane and just said something but she was off in her own little world.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry Kane what were you saying?" she saw the strange look from Octavia and Indra.</p>
<p>"I was saying that we are doing our best with our limited knowledge. Your mother has made it almost impossible for large groups to venture out of the gates. I am allowed out because I mingle with the Trikru, which allows me to catch a glance at you every now and then and try to tell your mother that you are fine." His shoulders sagged as he spoke.</p>
<p>Clarke knew her mother was the problem but until this war was over she couldn't get her out just yet. She needed a damn good reason to take her down. Her role as a doctor offered her some protection but not a lot because of Jackson. Her mind was racing trying to figure out what to do, that she didn't notice her vision start to go hazy.</p>
<p>"<em>Clarke you need to calm down</em>." a voice said in her head.</p>
<p>"<em>Talk to Lexa and ask for advice. You have a solid plan but you need some help. Your mother will have to wait. Your anger and hate for her needs to be put aside or you will be consumed before I can help.</em>" the voice continued to speak to her as she saw her group in front of her. They all shared the same look of worry on their faces.</p>
<p>She could barely see them but she knew who they were. This voice was trying to help her but she didn't know who it was.</p>
<p>"<em>What is happening to me?</em>" she thought to ask.</p>
<p>"<em>You are having a minor panic attack. I have managed to control some of it but you need to breathe and try to focus on something else. You are very close to passing out from all of the stress of all of this. You are also coming down from the state you were in earlier when dealing with your mother.</em>" the voice continued.</p>
<p>Clarke started to try and slow her breathing and try to focus on the one thing that seemed to calm her down. Lexa. Her mind replayed how she looked and her laugh. The more she focused on Lexa the calmer her breathing became. Slowly her vision started to clear.</p>
<p>"<em>Good Clarke. We will talk soon. Remember to talk to Lexa. She can help you.</em>" the voice said as her vision cleared and she could hear the multiple voices trying to get her attention.</p>
<p>She realized that she was now sitting on the ground with her back against a pole. She looked around to try and figure out what happened. Her brain was throbbing and hurt. Her body felt like she went through another battle again.</p>
<p>"Clarke are you okay?" Octavia said kneeling in front of her.</p>
<p>She looked up at her and shook her head no.</p>
<p>"Kane, is there somewhere private we can take her?"</p>
<p>"Yes grab her and follow me." Lincoln had shown up at this point and picked her up and carried her. Her hood was put up to try and block the sun.</p>
<p>"Lexa. I need Lexa" Clarke said to Lincoln. He looked at Indra and told her to go fetch the commander and sneak her in here.</p>
<p>She nodded and asked Kane where they were going. He pointed to a building that looked like a makeshift house.</p>
<p>They all made their way inside the house and Kane led them to the bedroom. It wasn't anything fancy but it would do. The bed was made from one of the spare rooms on the ark. It was big enough to hold two people. Lincoln laid Clarke down on the bed and Octavia was there to remove her shoes and weapons. Raven stayed in the room.</p>
<p>"Raven can you get her some water please." she nodded and went to get some.</p>
<p>Octavia looked back at Clarke and saw that she was somewhat there.</p>
<p>"Indra went to go get Lexa. She should be her soon." Clarke just nodded in response and curled into her side.</p>
<p>Octavia just sat there and tried to comfort her friend. She had no idea what had happened and it scared her. Clarke had never been like this before. Raven returned with some water and a glass. She poured some and handed it to Octavia. She sat on the other side of Clarke and tried to help.</p>
<p>"Clarke you need to drink." She raised the glass to her.</p>
<p>Clarke tried to take her but her hands were still shaking too much to hold it still.</p>
<p>"I can't." she said.</p>
<p>Octavia could feel the shaking and her heart broke. She raised the glass to her lips and helped her take a drink. Thankfully Clarke was able to drink the water.</p>
<p>"Lexa should be her soon Clarke." Octavia told her and she just nodded again.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lexa's tent</strong>
</p>
<p>Lexa had just returned from checking on how her blacksmiths were doing in preparing gear for her people when Indra burst through the entrance of her tent. She spun around and looked at her. Indra was out of breath and for the first time looked worried.</p>
<p>"Indra what is going on." she made her way closer to her.</p>
<p>"Clarke." is all Indra was able to say as Lexa was grabbing her gear and heading for her horse.</p>
<p>Lexa had one thing on her mind. Get to Clarke. Indra was on her tail and nothing she could tell her would stop what Lexa was about to do. She mounted her horse and started towards Camp Jaha.</p>
<p>"Lexa, hold on for a minute." Indra said, pulling herself back on her horse.</p>
<p>"You need to wait for me. I have to sneak you in." she continued as she came up next to her.</p>
<p>"Indra if Clarke is being held against her will and you are stopping me now, You will not like the consequences." Lexa was worried and fuming.</p>
<p>She could feel the fury of the commander spirit slowly taking over. This side had really only shown itself to her once and she almost didn't come back from it. This was the side that took over when her first love, Costia had been killed. She looked over at Indra and tried to calm her simmering rage.</p>
<p>"She is not in danger Lexa. She was fine one minute then the next she was on the ground holding her head and shaking. They moved her to a private house that had been built." she said as Lexa was starting to slow down now.</p>
<p>"Lincoln carried her and the only words that she said was that she needed you. I came to get you as quickly as I could." She was now even with her as they made their way to Camp Jaha.</p>
<p>Lexa took this information in as she started to control the rage that had started to build. Clarke was not right and her only request was her. She had mixed emotions at this revelation. Her walls were starting to come down for Clarke. She couldn't decide if this was a good thing or if it was going to cost her again. She could not go through that pain again. There was something about Clarke that was making her want to risk it. Clarke had made an impression on her since she had started to get to know her. A day hadn't passed to where her mind would drift to Clarke.</p>
<p>It had been almost two weeks now that they had been spending more and more time together. Her mind drifted back to all the glances they shared with each other and how they seemingly gravitated towards each other. She had to admit it to herself that Clarke had carved a spot in her heart. Was she really about to sneak into Camp Jaha, just to make sure Clarke is okay?</p>
<p>"<em>It is time to listen to your heart this time Lexa. You know what she means to you.</em>" Becca said to her as they got closer to the tree line that would cover their approach.</p>
<p>"<em>But what if she doesn't feel the same way? Can I really open myself further and not worry that it will be used against me.</em>" She finally asked the questions that she had been avoiding and storing in the back of her mind.</p>
<p>"<em>Those are very excellent questions Lexa, but I don't think you will have to worry about that. Wanheda helped Clarke down and told her to focus something else and she immediately thought of you.</em>" She pondered this for a moment as Indra signaled that they should dismount.</p>
<p>"<em>How do you know all of this Becca?</em>" They were approaching the fence and she could see a hold had been cut in the fence directly behind the supposed house where Clarke was at.</p>
<p>"<em>I can't explain it really. Since Wanheda made herself known there has been a shared link between us that allows us to communicate. It is something that should not be possible but no one knows how The spirit of the commander and Wanheda are linked. Like I said before we are verging into uncharted territory. It is time for me to leave you for now. Remember to trust your instincts and your heart. Clarke will not lead you astray.</em>" She was left more questions once again as they approached the back door and saw Lincoln guarding it.</p>
<p>She entered the makeshift home and immediately locked eyes with Kane. She made her way over to him trying to show the worry she was currently hiding.</p>
<p>"Where is she?" She managed to ask with her commander face on.</p>
<p>"She is in the room just behind you. Octavia and Raven are in there with her." He pointed to the door that was just behind her and to her left.</p>
<p>She turned around and made her way to the door. Her nerves hit her like a truck as she reached for the door knob. She took a quick breath and turned the knob opening the door. She walked in quickly and shut the door and laid eyes on the bed that was against the wall.</p>
<p>Lexa's heart sank at the state Clarke was in. Her face was pale and she looked like she was off in a far away land. She made eye contact with Octavia and she just nodded at her. She made her way in front of Clarke and knelt down in front of her.</p>
<p>"Clarke I am here." She said as she took a hold of her hands.</p>
<p>"Lexa? I'm scared. I don't know what's going on or what to do." She could see the tears and the look of self doubt in her eyes.</p>
<p>Raven and Octavia slowly got up to allow Lexa room to move closer to her. Octavia whispered to her that they would make sure no one spoke of her presence or what was going on. She nodded her head and thanks and moved to sit next to Clarke and hold her.</p>
<p>Clarke sank into her embrace and started to settle from the shaking that was still going on. The smell of earth and pine soothed her nerves and she was able to start breathing normally.</p>
<p>"What happened Clarke? You can tell me anything." Lexa asked her, rubbing small circles on her back.</p>
<p>"I don't know Lexa. One minute Kane was giving me the rundown of everything that was going good or bad then the next my head started to pound and my vision got blurry. I heard this voice talking to me telling me that I was having a panic attack and that I needed to focus on something else." Clarke for the first time since she entered the room turned to look at her.</p>
<p>"I thought of you Lexa. As I focused on the past couple of weeks that we have gotten closer the more I started to calm down. The only other thing I remember from the moment I was on the ground to sitting in here was asking for you." Lexa didn't know what to say.</p>
<p>Here she was sitting with Clarke who she had started to fall for and the one thing that calmed her down was her. The mixed amount of feelings she had been questioning started to rise to the surface again. She decided to trust her heart this time.</p>
<p>"Clarke, anything you need I will always do my best to help you. You have become someone I deeply care for." She could feel the tears starting to fall when she felt the soft touch of Clarke's hand wipe away her tears.</p>
<p>"Lexa, since I came down here I have felt alone and lost. I was trying my hardest to lead my people the best way I could. The first meeting we had scared the shit out of me. The time we have spent together, I have started to not feel alone. Getting to know you has made me realize that I have found someone I trust. You also have become someone I care for deeply." Clarke turned and pulled Lexa into an embrace.</p>
<p>They just stayed there for a while and held on to each other. Lexa had come to the realization that Clarke meant something special to her. She knew that what she had told her was true. She would do everything in her power to help her.</p>
<p>Clarke held on tight to Lexa. She never thought that she would come to trust and care for someone like she has Lexa. She knew that Lexa meant her word and that filled her with pure joy. She knew she was falling further and further for her.</p>
<p>"Lexa." She whispered as she pulled back slightly.</p>
<p>"Yes Clarke?" She was looking at her and was trying to take in every detail that she could. Her face still showed the traces of the fight she was in but in this moment it made her beautiful.</p>
<p>"I need your help. I don't know how I can help my people thrive when my mother is so hellbent on not working with you. When I got here I told everyone that when it came to this war I was in charge and I feel like if I don't help them I will lose them." Lexa thought about this for a moment.</p>
<p>Clarke's mother proposed a problem. She knew Clarke could lead her people but the one thing standing her way was her own mother. Clarke had started a game that would lead to her taking over fully but this was the hard part of being a leader. She racked her brain for an answer when she got an idea.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you have to show your people that they can coexist with us. We can have Kane and Indra start to work together. Kane has shown that he wants to survive. I know that your mother is going to cause issues but we will have to put that to the side till we win this battle." She looked into Clarke's eyes and saw the wheels turning at this idea.</p>
<p>"That could work Lexa, But how are we going to have them work together when my mother is watching every move and wont let anyone but a select few leave the camp." she liked the idea of Kane and Indra working together but it would have to be done right.</p>
<p>"We can have them meet here. This house could become the meeting place for them. Indra could sneak in here and go over things with Kane and vice versa. This could be the start of your plan Clarke." She smiled at her hoping the confidence she had for Clarke would show through.</p>
<p>"We can make that work. If my mother starts to ask questions about this place we can make up a story about how since it is close to Raven's shop, she uses it to sleep in. Kane comes here to check on her and get progress updates to feed to her. Hopefully that will keep her at bay." Clarke's mood had increased in the presence of Lexa.</p>
<p>She was able to think clearly and continue to put her plan in motion. She still hadn't figured out what caused her mess earlier besides trying to do too much and putting too much blame on herself. She sent a silent thank you to the voice that had helped her think during that time. She wasn't expecting a reply and when it didn't come she moved on.</p>
<p>"We probably should go talk to them. I am sure they are all wondering what is going on." Clarke tried to laugh but even though she was better she was still rattled.</p>
<p>Lexa saw the attempt Clarke was trying to make. She knew that she was rattled and trying to put on a face. She felt Clarke go to stand and she quickly caught her as she lost her balance. She looked down at her and saw the blush on her face. She just smiled and helped her stand.</p>
<p>"Well then at least I know I can count on you to catch me." she smirked at her and let out a laugh at the blush that showed on Lexa's face.</p>
<p>"As I told you Clarke I would help you anyway I could. Just spare me when we go out there. I still have a reputation to uphold." She smirked and started walking to the door when she felt the squeeze from Clarke on her forearm.</p>
<p>She looked back and saw the sheepish look on her face.</p>
<p>"I think you are going to have to worry about your reputation later. I am still a little dizzy but we need to go talk to them." Lexa smiled at her and put her left arm around her waist to try and stabilize her.</p>
<p>They slowly made their way to the door. Lexa opened it and allowed Clarke to go through it first. She was quickly back at her side.</p>
<hr/>
<p>At the sound of them entering the room, everyone that was gathered looked at them and smiled. They made their way to the table that was in the middle of the dining room. Octavia pulled two chairs to the head of the table for them to sit in.</p>
<p>Once they were seated both Clarke and Lexa waved their hands in a motion that told them to sit. Clarke saw that the both had instinctively done that and had a chuckle at it. Lexa just smiled at her.</p>
<p>Octavia and Indra took the seats next to Clarke and Lexa. Indra was Lexa's right and Octavia to Clarke's left. Kane sat next to Octavia and Raven sat next to Indra. Lincoln stood by the door in case someone decided to get nosy.</p>
<p>Clarke looked around at the people gathered and realized that these were the people that would hopefully help her keep her people alive and be able to survive.</p>
<p>Octavia had become her best friend and trusted general. The way they worked seamlessly together was something that Clarke knew didn't come easy for most people. She knew that Octavia would have her back when the time came for it.</p>
<p>Kane had been one of the few people from the Ark that realized in order to survive we had to work with Lexa and her people. He had changed since he landed here on the ground. On the ark he was a part of the council that sent them down here to die. Once he got on the ground and noticed that we had managed to survive, he started to change and was willing to work with me on the matter of the alliance.</p>
<p>Lincoln had become a welcome addition to their group. His knowledge of how to survive and his knowledge of how Lexa and her people worked. She knew that Octavia might not be here if she had ran into someone that was Lincoln. She was forever grateful that he had watched out for her.</p>
<p>She looked over Indra. Her mind instantly went back to her first encounter with and she let a small smile show on her face. Indra liked to give off a rough exterior but deep down she knew that she cared for Lexa and her people.</p>
<p>When she made it to Lexa she was met with the deep forest green of her eyes. She saw how Lexa was looking at her making sure she was okay. Her heart did a flutter at the worry Lexa held for her. She had no idea where this friendship was going but she had decided that she was going to see it through. Lexa had become the one person she wanted to spend as much time as possible with. The way she cared for her people showed how much compassion she had even though she had to lead them all and show little emotion. When they were alone she saw a different side of her. To her Lexa was not the commander but just Lexa. It was nice to have someone to talk to and care for.</p>
<p>Lexa smiled at her and gave her a reassuring squeeze real quick. Clark was thankful for that.</p>
<p>"Now that I can actually think again and don't feel like I got hit by a train, we have some things to discuss." She saw the smiles show one everyone's face at her attempt at humor.</p>
<p>"First the people in this room are the only ones that are to know about what we are going to be discussing. This house will serve as our meeting place for the time being. No information should leave the confines of this room." Everyone nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>"It has come to our understanding that there is a lot of work that this Camp needs to be able to survive. Clarke and I have come to the decision that it is in the best interest of our two peoples for Kane and Indra to work in secret to learn and share ways for your people to thrive. You two will meet here when it is necessary to go over how to grow food and learn different ways that we have learned to survive off what is provided by the ground." Indra looked perturbed at first but then seem to understand why she was being asked to do this.</p>
<p>"I will do my best to work with you Kane, but there is so much the Skaikru needs to know. I hope you are a fast learner." Kane nodded at her and smiled.</p>
<p>"I think that I can handle that Indra." He looked back at Clarke and Lexa and hooded at them.</p>
<p>"I hope you two are able to get Skaikru to where we need it to be. Now Raven there is something we need from you." Raven perked up at the mention of her name.</p>
<p>"We need you to try and make a few more radios. We are going to need them for the upcoming battle."</p>
<p>"I can start working on those tomorrow. I need to go through what is still on the ark and she what I can find."</p>
<p>"Do what you need to Raven. You should also know that this is where you will be staying for the time being. We needed a reason for this house being used and a way to explain why Kane would be coming here. Since my mother likes to know everything we figured this was the best way to keep her at bay." Raven threw her fists in the air and did a little dance in her chair.</p>
<p>"Score one for Raven. I get my own house. I never thought I would live to see that day." Everyone laughed at her excitement.</p>
<p>Clarke took a breath before getting to the next matter that needed to be discussed. This was one conversation that she was not looking forward to because of the implications of it. She looked over at Lexa and was met by a nod and a smile.</p>
<p>"Now this next matter is one that will take careful planning and discretion to pull off. This does not leave this room." She saw the change in mood come from everyone as they all understand that this was big.</p>
<p>"My mother is only in a position of power because she was elected to that position. From this moment forward she has no power as far as Lexa and I are concerned. She will maintain the facade of leading our people until the mountain is dealt with. Kane this was the matter I wanted to discuss with you. I think it is in our best interest if you were to be the one to look over Skaikru if I am not able to. Raven you will be his next in command so to speak." They both were surprised and shocked at her words.</p>
<p>She saw Kane pull out the pin she had given him earlier today. It seemed to have a new weight to him now.</p>
<p>"I have decided to leave my mother in charge of the camp to see what she would try. She does not believe that I am able to make the right choices for our people. As of right now the people in this room are making the decisions for Skaikru." Clarke let that set in for a moment. She was not expecting Lexa to speak next.</p>
<p>"Clarke in my eyes is the true leader of Skaikru. She has proven that she has the ability and knowledge to lead you all in the right direction. If Abigail questions anything Clarke has you doing you are to tell her that she is more than welcome to come meet Clarke and I and we will happily put her in her place." The smile in Lexa's face was almost feral.</p>
<p>She may not have known Abigail personally but from what Clarke has told she would be more than happy to put her in check with Clarke standing beside her.</p>
<p>Clarke smiled at the statement Lexa made and she knew her mother would try it at least once and if she was being honest with herself she wanted to see Lexa put her mother in check.</p>
<p>"Now that it is settled, are there any questions you all have for us?" Clarke asked, giving them the chance to ask anything they had on their mind.</p>
<p>"Will you be staying here with us or going back to Commander's camp?" Raven asked and she had a mischievous look on her face.</p>
<p>"For the time being I will continue to stay at her camp. It is easier to talk about strategy for this battle and I can continue to train and learn easier there." Raven just nodded her head at her response and she wondered why she was asking.</p>
<p>"Will you be coming by more often to check in on the status of things here?" Kane asked next.</p>
<p>"I will try to come back at least once a week and meet with you and Indra here. I would like to keep my mother out of the loop as much as we can." He nodded at her and smiled at her.</p>
<p>"So are we going to eat here or back at the other camp?" Octavia asked with the most serious look on her face.</p>
<p>Clarke laughed at her question and tuned to look at Lexa.</p>
<p>"I should return to camp soon. The sun is beginning to set." She said looking out the window then back at Clarke.</p>
<p>"Then there is your answer O. I am going to go back with Lexa. If you would like to eat you are more than welcome." Octavia nodded still undecided what she wanted to do.</p>
<p>"Kane I think my mother has cooled off for now. You can let her out when we leave. If she asks where I am, tell her I have left and won't be back for now." She hoped that would be enough but deep down she knew it wouldn't be.</p>
<p>Before she started to think about it too much Lexa pulled her out of her thoughts when she stood up and extended her hand towards her. They said their farewells and went to collect the horses. Indra went to take theirs back to camp while Clarke and Octavia went to where they had stabled theirs earlier.</p>
<p>Lexa climbed on to one of the horses while Octavia climbed on hers. Clarke was trying to decide which horse to get on when Lexa looked at her and motioned for her to get on hers. She climbed on behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist.</p>
<p>"What are your people going to think when they see me riding behind you Lexa?" she whispered into her ear. She saw the shiver that ran through and smiled to herself.</p>
<p>"As dark as it is getting, not many people will be able to see us. Plus our hoods should cover us as we approach. I wouldn't worry about it too much Clarke." She laughed at her worry and turned the horse toward her camp hoping they left Camp Jaha heading in the right direction.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mount Weather</strong>
</p>
<p>Bellamy had been inside Mount Weather for a week now and luckily he had not been discovered or questioned as he walked around. He had managed to get a hold of a guard uniform which he had found ironic since he had run away from being a guard on the Ark. He knew that part of the 100 that had come down were in the mountain somewhere. He had found them after a couple days of being here but had to pretend that he didn't know them.</p>
<p>A girl named Maya had noticed that he didn't belong here and pulled him aside and showed him what was really going on inside the mountain and it mortified him. He wasn't sure how he felt about the grounders being used for their blood. He had almost mapped out the whole complex by this time and had found that there were people inside that were willing to help him. He had found out that their main power source came from a damn, that the people in Mount Weather were responsible for creating the reapers.</p>
<p>That was something he never wanted to witness again. He had met Echo while he was locked up in that cage. She didn't offer much help because of the weakened state she was in. He was doing his best to stay hidden but sometimes that was impossible. He wound up having to bullshit his way out of a situation when that didn't go as he wanted he had to take the man's life. That changed him. He knew he was doing this for survival but he would not have been put in this position if not for Clarke.</p>
<p>His mind drifted towards her. Clarke had been the one to lead them for the most part. He had to admit to himself that she was better suited for that role than he was. Since they had been on the ground though he started to take a liking to her but he could tell that she was not interested in pursuing anything right now. He had seen Finn attempt something with her but he had been shut down. That was until she had met the commander of the grounders. He saw the change in her along with Octavia and Raven.</p>
<p>He was not sure if he could fully trust her after she would spend all of her time with the commander. Abby was sure that she was brainwashed by her but he knew that was not the case. His issues stemmed from the fact that she had not shown her face in over two weeks before she showed up with the commander in tow. That was the day he was told to go with Lincoln and infiltrate this god forsaken mountain. He was told it was because she knew he was the right man for the job. He did not buy that for one minute. He figured she sent him away so she could spin a story to take full control of the Camp. If that was the case he could not blame her.</p>
<p>The more he thought about Clarke the more frustrated and angry he became. He knew he stood no chance with her considering their past. He would still try of course when he got out of this hell hole.</p>
<p>He was due to check in with Camp Jaha soon. He was making his way to his secure location when he walked past a door that was cracked. He stopped and tried to not look out of place as his interest was peaked. He slowly opened the door when he heard no noise coming from inside. He stepped inside the room and noticed it was an office. He looked around the room and saw a desk in the middle of the room. There were paintings all over the walls that looked like they had been done by a professional.</p>
<p>He made his way over to the desk and saw a stack of files and pictures spread out over the desk. As he got close to the desk he saw pictures of what looked like Camp Jaha and a settlement that he had never seen before. He knew he would need to be quick. He sorted through the pictures when he came across one that made his heart beat faster and his blood run cold. In the picture was Clarke and The commander of the grounders. They were in the middle of the woods alone and were looking like they were in the middle of sparing. He searched through the remaining photos and found more and more of those two.</p>
<p>Clarke and the commander were being watched and didn't even know. He started going through the files on the desk and found letters that were written to someone's father. He quickly scanned the letters for any information he could find. One letter mentioned that snipers were being sent out to scout the surrounding area around a place that was the grounders main camp, another mentioned the use of missiles that were being primed for use, and the last one he read was a scouting report that detailed Clarke and The commanders daily routine and habits.</p>
<p>He had seen enough and decided it was time to warn Camp Jaha. He made his way out of the office and looked both ways. No one was around so he carefully made his way to his secure location to contact Clarke and Camp Jaha.</p>
<p>It took him about ten minutes to reach his destination. Once he knew he was not being followed or watched he got out his radio and turned the dial to the correct channel that had been established for them to talk pushed the button and waited for it to crackle to life.</p>
<p>"Bell to Raven come in. Bell to Raven come in." He waited for a minute for the response.</p>
<p>"Raven to Bell loud and clear. Status report." He smiled at the quick nature of her tone.</p>
<p>"<em>Skai Prisa</em> and commander in danger. Being watched. Missiles are in play. Everything is being watched. Found power source. Water is the key. Need to find controls for fog." They had established the fact that the radios were not completely secure so they tried to keep everything short and sweet.</p>
<p>"Copy that. Will inform. Stay safe." With those final words the radio died and went silent.</p>
<p>He let out the breath he had been holding. He hoped that Clarke would get the message. He may not be fully sold on her as leader but he still held out hope that he could start something with her no matter what had happened in their past. He got up from his position and made his way to the room he had secured to stay in.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Security room of Mount Weather</strong>
</p>
<p>Cage watched the monitor with interest. He had been alerted to an intruder a day ago by one of the guards. He did not know who this intruder was but he wanted to find out. He had left the door to his office open intentionally to see who wandered in. He saw the door open and in walked a guard. He watched as the guard looked around the room to see if anyone was there. Nothing was suspicious yet. The guard made their way over to his desk and started looking at the photos and documents. He watched as the guard started to sort faster through the items and then quickly leave the office. He knew he had found the intruder, it was just the matter of finding out who the mystery person was.</p>
<p>He had been monitoring the radio frequencies to see if there was any activity but he had turned up nothing so far. He followed the path of this guard as he walked slowly through the halls of the complex. This guard knew where the blind spot of the cameras were and how to hide his face. He could tell that this person was familiar with the guard routines and patterns. He watched as this person disappeared for about five minutes then re emerged in a different area. He lost sight of the person in the old part of the complex that had been abandoned due to contamination.</p>
<p>From what he could tell this person was from the outside world because of how they moved and seemed to disappear. He had to find this person. He picked up the radio and pressed the button to speak.</p>
<p>"Emerson please come to the Security Room." He let go of the button to wait for a response.</p>
<p>"On my way now." came through the radio.</p>
<p>Five minutes later Emerson walked through the door of the room. He saluted Cage and made his way to stand beside him.</p>
<p>"The intruder that you told me about took the bait and then disappeared in level 3. The zone should be uninhabitable due to the contamination, correct?" Emerson nodded in response.</p>
<p>"Then tell me how this intruder was able to go there. The only logical response would be if they are from the ground." Emerson started to put the pieces together.</p>
<p>"Would you like me to go investigate Level 3?" Cage nodded at him and sent him on his way.</p>
<p>Cage turned around to the table behind him. On the table was a map of the surrounding area. On the map they had been able to identify Camp Jaha, Polis, Tondisi, and any village that was close. He knew it was time to send a message but he had to play this right. He needed both of his targets together but was not willing to wipe out the remaining people that came from the sky.</p>
<p>He weighed his options carefully. He could send a missile to Tondisi and wipe out a good portion of that village, he could turn loose some of the Sky people to lure them into a false sense of security, or he could turn loose the reapers again. He made his choice and went to go collect the required people to launch the missile.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Bellamy's room</strong>
</p>
<p>He knew that someone was coming to look for him. He had rigged up motion sensors at the entrance to the level he stayed at. His alarms went off and he moved quickly. He was not expecting his radio to come alive as he made his way away from his room.</p>
<p>"If anyone is listening I think you should listen close." He stopped on a dime and looked for a place to hide.</p>
<p>"We know you are there and that you do not belong. The question is why did you get sent here." He listened as this man continued to talk.</p>
<p>"My name is Cage Wallace. I am in charge of everything that goes on in this mountain. You should know that we have ways of dealing with problems." Bellamy heard the sound of machines turning on.</p>
<p>"In the next few hours a missile will be launched and the location of said missile is still to be determined. Whoever you are I hope you can live with the fact that you can do nothing to stop this." The radio went dead and his heart stopped.</p>
<p>They knew he did not belong and they were playing him for a fool. He grabbed his radio and turned it to the correct channel hoping no one had discovered the secret frequency that they were using to communicate.</p>
<p>"Raven. 911." He waited for a minute.</p>
<p>"Status?" came back over the speaker.</p>
<p>"Compromised. Missile being launched. Location unknown. Warn <em>Skai Prisa</em>."</p>
<p>"Copy. Do not contact me on this frequency. Go to secondary." The radio went silent for the second time tonight.</p>
<p>Bellamy knew things would move fast now. He had to find the controls for the fog fast and figure out how to disable them. The clock was ticking before he would be eventually found and he was not looking forward to that being the case. He needed to set in motion his own plan to overthrow the mountain from the inside with the people he had come to know. He took off through one of the side passages and made his way to meet with the one person he knew he could trust, Monty.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>One week later</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>The day before the Battle for Mount Weather</strong>
</p><p>The past week had felt like a month's time had passed for Clarke. There had been so much, that had moved quickly after she received word from Bellamy about a missile being launched. This sent both Lexa and her into crisis mode. They immediately left for <em>Tondisi</em> to try and warn the people there. They had just made it to the war room when the got the message that it had been launched.</p><p>They had to make a hard choice to secretly leave for their safety. They watched from a hill far away as the missile came and struck the center of the town. It caused both of them to fall to their knees in pain. As they were trying to make their way back to the camp, they ran into Lincoln who told them that he had spotted snipers in the trees. They quickly made their way back to camp and had to kill a couple snipers and reapers who had been sent to kill them as well.</p><p>When they walked back into the camp they immediately took stock of the damage and began helping to rescue people that had been trapped by the debris. It took them two days to rescue everyone they could. Only Octavia knew the truth about the missile heading for <em>Tondisi</em>. That was a whole issue that Clarke had to deal with. It wound up getting settled after she planted Octavia on her ass and asked her if she remembered what she had told her when she asked her to become her general.</p><p>Since that day both camps went into overdrive to prepare for tomorrow. Bellamy had found the fog controls and secured a way to reverse its function with the help of Monty. Raven and Wick got detailed information from him about how and where they would go at the dam to knock out the power for the complex. Lexa gathered all of her generals and went over the plan she had come up while talking with Clarke.</p><p>They had debated long into the night everyday on the possible outcomes for this battle. When they weren't going over the battle plans, they were training. Lexa, Indra, Octavia, and Her all went into the clearing that they had found not far from camp. Lexa had decided it was best that they avoid the training grounds as to avoid a possible repeat of what happened last time. Lexa didn't hold back when it came to training her. She was a quick learner and yesterday had managed to finally plant Lexa on her ass. She smiled at the memory of the shocked expressions of the other three when Clarke had planted her.</p><p>She stepped outside her tent with all her gear ready to go for the final day of preparation when she was met by Lexa. She stopped immediately and looked into her eyes. It didn't matter what was going on during the day, one look into her eyes made her calm and warm. She smiled at her trying to figure out what Lexa could be coming to find her so early for.</p><p>"Good morning Klark" Lexa smiled at her.</p><p>The way she said her name with that hard K made her shiver. No one had said her name like that before and it made her feel special and cared for.</p><p>"Morning Lexa. What do I owe the pleasure of this early morning visit?" she asked, still trying to figure out what was going on.</p><p>"I figured we could take a walk this morning to clear our heads. We both have been under intense scrutiny from everyone lately." Clarke could tell Lexa was hiding something but wasn't sure what it was.</p><p>"That would be nice. I was coming to find you anyway and see if you wanted to do some light training." Clarke smiled at her and noticed Lexa fiddling with her hands.</p><p>"Okay then let's go, we should be back before lunch. I made sure to tell Indra this time so she doesn't worry this time." She smiled as she turned and started walking.</p><p>No matter how much she was trying to hide it Lexa was off today and she knew it. This past week had been rough for both Clarke and her. First a missile had struck Tondisi and left it in need of severe repair. Then there was the diffusing between both of their respective generals that had to be handled. Indra was ready to go on a warpath and had a hard time listening to reason. Clarke had to put Octavia on her ass to listen. This had been the most stressful week of her life in a long time.</p><p>She knew that if Clarke and her hadn't been able to settle both camps, the battle would have been over before it had begun. Clarke had to go make her mother see reason once again when she caught wind out what Bellamy had been told the targets were. Lexa had to calm her generals from doing something rash and attacking <em>Skaikru</em> for their believed attempt at siding with the mountain men to wipe them out. By the time both camps were under control Lexa was fuming and Clarke was close as well.</p><p>Throughout all this Clarke and her had still managed to spend more time with each other. Their training sessions had quickly become her favorite part of the day. Clarke was improving quickly and was starting to pass Octavia in skill. Clarke was no longer training with Octavia to test skill. She was now exclusively training with Lexa and her only.</p><p>They had just cleared the edge of the woods and were not able to be seen when Clarke grabbed her arm and stopped her. She turned and looked at her and saw the question forming before it was asked.</p><p>"Lexa are you okay? You seem off this morning." She just looked at her and saw the worry behind her eyes. Her heart skipped a couple beats at the care Clarke had for her.</p><p>"I will be okay. There is just a lot that we have to prepare for and there is so much that needs to be done to ensure that I don't lose you or our people." She turned away at what she just said. She was struggling to control her own feelings for Clarke.</p><p>Clarke's mind short circuited for a brief second. There was no way she had heard Lexa correctly. Her words rang in her ears like a song. Lexa didn't want to lose her. Clarke knew that she cared but she didn't know it was like that. She turned Lexa back to face her and tilted her head up so she could look into those deep forest green eyes that she had come to love.</p><p>"Lexa, I am not going anywhere. We will do everything in our power to protect those we care about. I don't want to lose you either." She saw the worry start to slowly fade at her words.</p><p>"We are in this together, <em>Leska</em>. I would not want anyone else on my side for this." She took a deep breath before she said something she was wanting to say for a long time.</p><p>"You have been there for me when I have been so pissed off and frustrated at my people, you have helped me make decisions that have slowly started to help my people thrive. I can't thank you enough for that." She gave her a reassuring squeeze on her arm before walking ahead.</p><p>Lexa smiled and slowly started to follow. She knew that she was losing the fight to not pull Clarke close and kiss her. Her walls had come completely down for this girl that fell from the sky. She made the mental note that she was going to take a chance later before she might have to make a decision that could cost her this. Her duty was to her people first and foremost and she hated that it might cost her the one thing that she had come to love.</p>
<hr/><p>They walked a big circle around both camps while staying out of sight. It gave them time to just relax and distress after the week they had had. They made it back to her tent just as the sun was reaching its peak for the day. Clarke followed her inside which did not surprise her. She had taken to spending all her free time that she had by her side. It caused some rumors about them to spread throughout the camp and when she had caught wind of them, she had Indra quickly quell them. She had enough on her plate right now that she did not need a rumor getting to Azgeda.</p><p>They both looked over to the table and saw plates of food had been set there for them. They looked at each other and shrugged, figuring Indra saw them coming back and had the food brought to them. They set down next to each other and started to eat in comfortable silence they both had started to come to enjoy.</p><p>"You know Clarke the more you keep following me in here after anything we do, people will start to think that something is going on between us." Lexa really didn't care if Clarke was with her all the time. She just kept thinking of what everyone else would say.</p><p>"Let them think what they want Lexa. We know the truth and why should what anyone else thinks matter to us?" Clarke knew her people thought something was going on between them.</p><p>When she went back to camp earlier this past week to deal with her mother again, both Raven and Kane cornered her and asked her what was going on between them.</p><p>"Well Clarke that could be dangerous. We already know that Mount Weather has pegged us as targets and they have seen us together. They don't know what is going on between us. I have enemies to the north and not that far from your Camp that would love to kill me especially if they thought someone was close to me." She knew that she would love nothing more than to be with Clarke. It's just the way the last person she loved was taken from her is causing all this. She was just trying to warn Clarke.</p><p>"Well we will handle them just like we are Mount Weather. Together." Clarke set her fork down and took hold of Lexa's hand.</p><p>"Lexa I am done worrying about what other people think. If I want something I am going to take it. Right now there is something I want, I just don't know if it is the right time." Clarke started to blush. She was tired of dancing around her feelings anymore.</p><p>"What is it that you want Clarke?" For the first time in a long time Lexa was nervous. She had told herself that she was going to act on her feelings earlier but now she was sitting there waiting to see where Clarke was going.</p><p>"You." is all Clarke said as she pulled Lexa close and kissed her.</p><p>Lexa went stiff at first but slowly relaxed and returned the kiss. She couldn't be happier in this current moment. She pulled back slightly and looked at Clarke. She had a smirk on her face that was just daring her to respond.</p><p>Lexa rose from her chair and pulled Clarke up with her. She walked forward till she felt Clarke hit her backside on the table in the middle of the room. Everything seemed to slow down for the both of them. They searched each other's eyes for any regrets or doubt and nothing could be found. Lexa went for more. She snaked a hand behind Clarke's neck and pulled her in for another kiss.</p><p>When her lips made contact with Clarke's, a small moan came out at the taste of her. This was everything she thought it would be anymore. Her other arm moved behind her back to pull her closer. She wanted to fell Clarke as they fought for dominance of their kiss. She pulled back again and looked into the darkening eyes of Clarke. She smiled at her and it was returned.</p><p>"So I am guessing you want the same thing Lexa?" Clarke breathed out in a hush tone trying to calm her rising excitement.</p><p>"I have wanted that since you first walked into my tent." She leaned down and kissed her again as if to confirm her own words.</p><p>"I am glad then Lexa. I would love nothing more in the world for us to be together. We are stronger when we are working as a team." She was pulled close as she spoke. Lexa didn't want this moment to end.</p><p>"Then from now on Clarke, we are together. You are right we work well together. That has been evident by the past week." As she spoke she felt the weight of what was looming come crashing down on her. She just agreed to be with Clarke no matter the ramifications of this.</p><p>She would worry about that later. For now she was going to enjoy the calm before the storm with Clarke. She smiled as she thought about the step they just took. She knew she would have explaining to do and that they needed to keep it to themselves for now.</p><p>"Clarke we should keep this to ourselves for now. When we are alone we can be ourselves but when we are with our people we have to be able to put our feelings to the side and be the leaders they want us to be." Lexa knew that Clarke could handle this. She had already seen how Clarke carried herself while in public when she needed to be the Leader for her people.</p><p>"I think we can manage that. I know how you are with your reputation, no need to let them see how caring you actually are." She poked Lexa in the side and smirked at her. The reaction that pulled out of Lexa made Clarke laugh.</p><p>"I am caring, Clarke and my people know that. They just like to see a strong commander and if I were to become weak they would find another. That is how it has been for years. I know that Titus thinks love is weakness but you have shown me otherwise. You have shown me that it is okay to love and be loved." She walked them back to the table so they could finish their meal before the generals arrived to go over the plan of attack one last time.</p><p>"Are you saying that you love me Lexa?" Clarke sent her a look with one of her eyebrows cocked upwards. She was already figuring out that teasing her was fun.</p><p>"What if I was Clarke? Would that change anything between us." She asked as she popped another grape into her mouth.</p><p>"Not at all Lexa because the feeling goes the same way. I think I have loved you since I laid eyes on you. There was just something about you that made me want to say to hell with everything and figure out everything about you. I walked out of here that first day and I knew I needed to get to know you better." She smiled as she finished her meal. She knew any moment the generals would be here and they would have to switch personas again.</p><p>"Then I think that is exactly what I am saying, <em>Ai hodnes</em>." She chuckled at what she had just said because Clarke was still learning their language. She could tell Clarke was trying to figure it out as Indra walked into the tent. Both Clarke and her stood a little too quickly and she saw the look of wonderment on her face.</p><p>"<em>Heda</em> the generals will be here shortly. Are you ready to go over the plan again?"</p><p>Indra looked at both of the women standing in front of her. She saw their reactions to her unannounced entrance and to her it looked like they were guilty of something. Lexa to her credit recovered quickly while Clarke took just a tad longer but still put her assumed leader face on. Indra smiled at how quickly she was learning. The time Lexa was spending with her was rubbing off and it was a good thing.</p><p>"Yes Indra we will be ready." Lexa said, moving to sit in her throne. Clarke just stood there still trying to figure out where she should go.</p><p>"Clarke you have gotten better about putting on a face but you still have work to do." She turned and looked at Lexa with an eyebrow raised.</p><p>"Is there something you would like to inform your general of Heda?" She knew that she had walked in on something and she wanted to make them both sweat a little. It was fun to keep them on their toes.</p><p>Clarke turned and looked at Lexa. Not five minutes ago they had agreed to keep their new relationship a secret but now that Indra was here she was unsure of what they should do. Lexa motioned for Clarke to come next to her. She walked up to her and squatted beside her throne facing away from Indra. She turned her head and looked at Lexa.</p><p>"Should we tell Indra and Octavia about our new relationship?" Lexa leaned over and whispered to her.</p><p>"I think it wouldn't hurt as long as we make it absolutely clear that this information goes nowhere. I know there are a lot of things this could cause but whatever you want to do Leska, I will follow your lead." Lexa nodded at her and she stood back up and turned around to face Indra.</p><p>Indra noted where Clarke was standing and knew that she already had her answer. Lexa had found love again. She knew that she should be afraid of the ramifications of this but she knew that both of them cared for each other and would watch each other's back.</p><p>"Indra could you please have Octavia come in here. We know she is just outside." Indra smiled and turned around and stuck her head outside and told her to come in.</p><p>Octavia walked in and looked at where Lexa and Clarke were positioned in the room and she knew something had definitely changed between them. Lexa told the guards outside to not let anyone in till she said different. She knew this must be important if Lexa wanted to not be disturbed.</p><p>She watched as Lexa stood and took a hold of Clarke's hand and together they made their way in front of them. She looked at Clarke and saw the blank face she had put up. She watched as the face slowly fell on both of them as they relaxed to themselves. As they got close to them they moved closer to each other as if drawn to the other. They stopped just in front of them and they both wore smiles that stretched from ear to ear.</p><p>"We figured that it would be wise to let our most trusted generals and friends know of some new developments. Clarke and I have decided to be together. This needs to be kept secret and no one outside of this tent is allowed to know till we deem it safe." Lexa said while never losing the smile on her face.</p><p>Octavia looked at the both of them and then at Indra to see her reaction and was surprised by it. Indra was smiling and not just a small one either. That threw her for a loop because of the facade Indra carried. She shook her head then looked back at Clarke. She was still wearing her smile while waiting for their responses. Clarke had changed since they had come down here and it was for the better</p><p>"Lexa, that is wonderful news. Took you long enough." Indra laughed as she pulled her onto a hug.</p><p>All three of the women were stunned. Lexa had thought that she would be the one to explode. Clarke thought she would be dead for even thinking of having feelings for Heda. Octavia couldn't process what she was seeing and her mouth hung wide open. Indra released Lexa and moved in front of Clarke. Everyone heard the audible gulp come from her throat.</p><p>"Clarke, I must warn you that going down this road will put a target on your back. I know you will do everything in your power to protect her but if you don't you will wish you had been killed when that drop ship landed." Indra had put her stoic face back on as she threatened Clarke. Once she nodded in understanding it fell and she smiled.</p><p>"I am happy for the both of you. I had my doubts about you Clarke but so far you have done nothing but show how much you want to live and work with us. You have shown that you are a warrior and a leader. This will only make you two stronger." Clarke was still stunned from what just happened.</p><p>Of all people Indra was the last one that she thought would approve of this. She shook her head and looked over at Lexa, who was showing shock as well with a hint of embarrassment. She smiled at her and turned to her best friend. She saw the state of shock she was in and slapped her shoulder to return her to normal.</p><p>"Octavia are you still with us?" she was now smirking along with Indra and Lexa.</p><p>"Yeah just trying to process the bombshell you two just dropped. I hadn't realized that you were that close. I mean I had wondered what was going on when I saw Clarke following you like a lost puppy but I would have never guessed there was a mutual attraction." Clarke just sighed at her friend. She felt Lexa lean over and whisper to her that she told her so. That remark earned her a playful slap on the shoulder.</p><p>"Now that you both know, I hope you two realize that this must be kept to us four only. I have already warned Clarke of the dangers of us pursuing this and she still wants to continue. I know what we are asking of you two will be hard." Lexa gave Octavia a very pointed look, knowing that she shared almost everything with Lincoln. Octavia shot her hands up in defense and just agreed to not tell Lincoln.</p><p>"Sha Heda." They both said and bowed to her.</p><p>Lexa and Clarke looked at each other, smiled and let out a breath of air. That part was done for now. They knew that whatever was going to happen from here on out would be new for the both of them. She felt Lexa let go of her hand and immediately missed her touch. She looked at her and noticed she had slipped back into Heda mode as she looked at Indra. Clarke realized that the generals were probably outside pissed off that they were being kept waiting. She sighed as she tried to mentally prepare herself for this war council.</p><p>She walked over to her spot just to the right of Lexa around the big table that had been set up. It had a map off the mountain on it and the surrounding area. Once she made it to her spot she felt the touch of someone to her left. She looked up and saw the smile on Lexa's face and the nod of reassurance from her. Clarke smiled at her and nodded back thanking her. She put on her best stoic face that she was still trying to master as the first of the generals came into the tent.</p>
<hr/><p>The generals filed in one by one, Clarke never broke her gaze with each of them. Indra stood to Lexa's left, Gustus stood next to Clarke which calmed her just a little. Gustus was like a father to Lexa and he had been assigned to watch over her when she was not with Lexa.</p><p>Nyko was the next one to enter and he stood beside Indra. Lexa had informed her that he was her best healer outside of their capital. She had worked with him to share the different ways of healing, explaining that if they knew more ways to heal more people would survive.</p><p>Ryder came in next and stood by Gustus. She didn't know much about this man but from what she had seen he was trained by Gustus and the big man had a soft spot for him.</p><p>The remaining generals came in and took their respective places around the table. She had not met most of them enough to learn their names. Most of the meetings had been quick and easy. They were mostly for information gathering and getting updates on the progress on various things. She knew this one would be the most difficult and she would face the most scrutiny. Her eyes scanned the room looking for Octavia. She found her posted by the entrance to the tent standing guard. She saw the slight nod from her and she let out a hush sigh.</p><p>"As you all know we go to battle tomorrow with The Mountain. They have held a dark cloud over our people for centuries. Tomorrow with the help of <em>Skaiheda</em> we will bring down the mountain and finally be free of their reign of terror." The general started a war chant at their Heda's words.</p><p>Clarke smiled inwards at her confidence and how much her people loved her. She knew this was off to a good start.</p><p>"Over the past three weeks, <em>Skaiheda</em> and I have worked tirelessly to put a plan in place to ensure victory. As some of you know <em>Skaiheda</em> successfully had one of her own people infiltrate the Mountain and work to bring it down from the inside." All of the generals nodded in agreement at the feat <em>Skaikru</em> had been able to accomplish.</p><p>"Once <em>Belomi</em> is able to bring down the acid fog. We will be able to march to their front door." She paused as she saw one of her generals looking frustrated as he looked at the map.</p><p>"<em>Darko</em>, do you have something that is troubling you?" She asked the man. He was known to raise questions that she may have forgotten to look out for.</p><p>"<em>Heda</em>, once and if <em>Belomi</em> brings down the yellow cloud. That would put them on the defensive. How are we to get inside to rescue our people?" She was glad he asked because this was the perfect time for Clarke to go over the plan.</p><p>"<em>Skaiheda</em>, you would mind filling everyone in on that plan." She looked at her and nodded.</p><p>Clarke had been waiting for her to be called on. Lexa had told her that it would mean more for her to explain the plan since her people had been able to infiltrate the mountain. Clarke took a breath and moved to the right and was now standing in between Ryder and Gustus. They two big men made her look small but she stood straighter to try and make herself appear taller.</p><p>"Once the fog is down we will be able to approach the mountain. <em>Reivon</em> and Wick will infiltrate the dam and set explosives to knock out their power. That should allow us to blow the door to the entrance of Mount Weather." She looked around the room and locked eyes with Darko.</p><p>"You are correct <em>Darko</em>, they will be on guard and they most likely have a bigger weapon supply than <em>Skaikru</em> have. On one of our scouting missions were we able to find one of the <em>Maunon's</em> hidden bunkers. There was not a lot in there but we were able to find some of the same gas that they had used to capture <em>Skaikru</em>." She felt the whole room tense.</p><p>"There was only enough to be used once. After this battle <em>Skaikru</em> will have very little when it comes to the weapons from the old world. I fully plan on making sure we adopt your people's way of living and surviving. Our weapons will be obsolete if I have my way." She gripped the handle of the dagger she had strapped to her side trying to calm her nerves.</p><p>"What is to stop your people from raiding the mountain and resupplying your people with their weapons? How can we trust that you will do as you say and get rid of your guns?" One of the other generals spoke now. He had a very valid question.</p><p>"Once the battle is over, with <em>Heda's</em> permission the only thing I would want from them is the medical equipment. Everything else can be destroyed as far as I am concerned. I have no desire for my people or I to use guns anymore. They caused nothing but damage and pain and would not last as long as a good sword or bow." The general nodded at her apparently accepting her answer for now.</p><p>"We will discuss the question of medical equipment after the battle, <em>Skaiheda</em>." She heard Lexa's voice and looked over at her seeing the unsaid words of how proud she was of her so far.</p><p>"<em>Sha Heda</em>." Clarke turned back to the map and continued to go through her plan for the battle.</p><p>"If everything goes according to plan the gas should knock out anyone that is in the main tunnel allowing us to infiltrate the mountain and make our way to the holding cells to rescue our people." She took a breath and gave a quick glance over at Lexa. She saw the brief nod and took another breath. This next part weighed heavy on her.</p><p>"Once inside all of the guards are killed on sight. If we are attacked, you will have full right to retaliate. As far as <em>Heda</em> and I are concerned no one is to be considered friendly. There are children in the mountain and if it is possible they are to be spared and dealt with after the battle." She fought back the tears that were threatening to fall at the thought of the children in the mountain being slaughtered because of their parents' actions.</p><p>She calmed her breathing and looked around the room. All of the generals were weighing what she had just said. All of them looked around at each other and nodded in agreement and looked at Clarke.</p><p>"<em>Skaiheda</em> we all do not want innocent children to die. If we can we will move them to a secure location and you can talk to them afterwards." Lexa's voice seemed to calm her from the slow burn of the rage that had been building as she talked about the plan.</p><p>"<em>Mochaf Heda.</em>" She nodded at her again.</p><p>"Once our people are free from the Mountain and it no longer serves as a threat, we will be free to continue working together to thrive if <em>Heda</em> wants it." Clarke knew she would want that especially considering their new relationship.</p><p>"The terms of the alliance will be discussed after the battle. As long as <em>Skaikru</em> does their part there should be no problem in continuing our alliance." She saw Clarke nod and thank her as she returned to answer questions that were being asked of the small details of the plan.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>"She is a natural leader Lexa. You chose well." Becca said to her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"She is doing a very good job. The generals seem to be warming up to her."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"They do seem to be responding better this time around. Everyone is looking at her as an equal now. You have done well in teaching her."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"She made it easy. She was willing to learn and was born to lead Becca. It just took a little push."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Becca chuckled at her response.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"If that's what you want to call it. You know tomorrow will be hard and many lives could be lost."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yes Becca, I do. That comes with every battle we wage. I have done everything possible to ensure we win the one. Clarke has been a great help in providing details of what she saw while she was held captive." Lexa felt a slight shiver travel through her at the thought of Clarke being held captive again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You really do love her don't you?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yes Becca I do. I haven't felt this way since Costia. I am afraid that if something were to happen to her that nothing would be able to stop me this time." She glanced over at Clarke and saw that she was explaining something to another one of her generals. She must have felt her gaze cause she turned and looked at her. A smirk appeared on her face and she turned back to the map.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You two will make each other stronger and better. I can see that now. I am happy for you Lexa. I think she is running out of things to explain by the way. Enjoy." Lexa looked back at Clarke again and saw her staring at her.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>"Does anyone else have any concerns or questions for <em>Skaiheda</em>?" She had to think quickly because honestly she heard very little of what was being asked.</p><p>All of the generals shook their heads no at her and all looked calm and pleased with Clarke. Everyone's stance was relaxed and they all had slight smiles on their faces. She was confused by that but would ask Clarke later about it.</p><p>"Then you are all dismissed to prepare. We have a long fight ahead of us." She stood and they all bowed to her as they left. Once by one they left till Indra, Octavia and Clarke were the only ones left.</p><p>She walked over to stand beside Clarke as the last one exited the tent. She immediately grabbed her hand and felt herself center and relax. Clarke gave her a reassuring squeeze as Indra and Octavia came closer.</p><p>"Well Clarke I must say you handled that very well. I have never seen all of the generals agree and come together so quickly. You addressed everyone's questions and concerns and made them feel like their voices were being heard. Lexa you have done well in helping her." Indra praised Clarke for how she explained everything.</p><p>Lexa smiled at this. Receiving praise from Indra was rare and the fact that Clarke had gotten it twice showed how much she had warmed up to her.</p><p>"Thank you Indra. That went better than I had hoped. The only thing that would have help is if Lexa had chimed in a couple of times so Indra didn't have to speak up." All three of them were smirking at her as she was stunned.</p><p>"Clarke what are you talking about? I must apologize, the first commander decided to make her presence known and was talking to me." A blush was creeping up her face at her embarrassment for being distracted.</p><p>"Well that would explain why you looked off in a different world and why you never took your eyes off Clarke." Her head whipped towards Octavia.</p><p>"Explain Octavia. Did anyone mention it?" she was concerned and some panic was creeping in. If anyone had suspected anything about them, it would not be good.</p><p>"No, Clarke did a good job of keeping everyone's focus. I only saw it because I was watching the whole room." She relaxed slightly. She would have to be more careful when among a large group.</p><p>"Thank you Octavia for keeping watch tonight. You may continue with whatever else you had planned for today." Octavia nodded and bowed to her and took her leave wanting to go find Lincoln.</p><p>"Indra is there anything else I should know about since I was busy?"</p><p>"No Heda. Clarke covered everything and did well." She smiled at them proud of both of them.</p><p>"Then you may also take your leave. Thank you Indra." She nodded and bowed and left the tent leaving Clarke and her alone once again.</p><p>Lexa immediately pulled her into a kiss needing to feel her on her lips. She felt Clarke return it in earnest. She pulled back slightly and pulled Clarke closer and rested her shoulder. Her breathing slowed and she sank into her embrace. These meetings took everything out of both of them and to add that she had the unexpected visit of Becca her mind was taxed for the time being.</p><p>She grabbed Clarke by her hand and led them over the table and they sat down never letting go of the others hand. She looked up and met blue eyes that were studying her intently. Her heart always seemed to speed up when her eyes were trained on her.</p><p>"Lexa, there is something we need to discuss when it comes to the battle." she saw a small flicker between <em>Skaiheda</em> and Clarke.</p><p>"What is it Clarke?" She knew that this must be important for her to wait till everyone was gone.</p><p>"There is one possibility that we have not discussed for this battle." She felt Clarke's hand start to get clammy and her pulse quickened.</p><p>"What could we have possibly missed Clarke? We have taken into every angle that we are aware of." she could tell this was eating at her. She racked her brain to try and think of something they had missed.</p><p>"Once we knock out their fog and power they will be desperate. They will try anything and that includes offering one of us a deal. They have done their homework on us. They know you have people to lead while I don't." she could feel the shaking coming from Clarke. Where was she going with this?</p><p>"If it comes down to that, I need you to promise me that you will take that deal for your people. I will survive if it comes to it. I will find my way back to you." She looked into her eyes and saw the tears forming.</p><p>Clarke was willing to sacrifice her own people in order for her to continue onward like her people would want. She was expected to look out for her people first. That was her duty and she knew it. For the first time since she ascended she regretted having her role. She could feel her own tears starting to form at the realization that she would have to take the deal if it came to it.</p><p>She stood and pulled Clarke into a tight embrace. Her tears were falling on her shoulder. This hit them both hard and they had just admitted how they felt for each other. Was this some cruel twist of fate?</p><p>"Clarke, I know this is the last thing you want to hear but you are right. That is what is expected of me and it is tearing me apart at the thought of having to take that deal." she was still holding on tight. She felt like if she let go Clarke would run.</p><p>"Lexa, your people out number mine significantly. You have to put us aside and do what's best for them. I can already tell you my people will look at it as betrayal but I won't. This will be the hardest thing for us but we will make it." She was now staring into her soul and Lexa could feel the weight of the world collapse on her shoulders once again.</p><p>"Then if that is what you wish it will be done. If it comes to that then I will do what's best for my people. I hope it does not come to that but you do raise a good point." She tried to smile and find any positive from this but there was none.</p><p>"I figured it was best to figure this out when no one was around. It would have been harder to control my emotions then." Clarke was trying to join in trying to find a positive but was also struggling.</p><p>"<em>Sha Klark</em>, that would not have been easy. I am glad you thought of this scenario, it shows that even when we think we have looked at every outcome there is always at least one more that has not been accounted for. I am proud of you Clarke." She beamed at her love. She had come a long way since she first landed on Earth.</p><p>"I need you to promise me something though." she had wanted to ask this later but now seemed like the perfect time.</p><p>"What is it Lexa?" She was curious now.</p><p>"After this battle is over no matter what happens, I want you to come to <em>Tondisi</em> and find me. You will need to bring Octavia and Lincoln with you. His banishment will be lifted and this will make it easier for us to continue yours and Octavia's training." she was nervous about asking this.</p><p>"I will Lexa, wherever you go I want to be there. I am putting Kane in charge so I can do exactly that." Clarke beamed at her.</p><p>"Thank you Clarke. I know that this will be difficult but I want you by my side from here on out." She was glad Clarke agreed to her wish.</p><p>"Now how about we go for a run to clear our minds and get away from the looming battle?" Clarke smiled at her and nodded her head.</p><p>They grabbed their gear just in case they ran into anything and headed out of the tent. They found Octavia with Lincoln and Indra. All three of them agreed to come with them, all needing to get away for a few hours. Clarke looked up at the sun and they had a couple hours before dusk. She realized that they could do a big run and come back just in time for her to do a quick check in on Camp Jaha before she ate for the night.</p><p>Once they were all ready to go Clarke and Lexa set the pace and took off into the woods falling into the rhythm they had come to establish when they went for runs. Clarke looked behind her and found that the others were keeping up with them as they wound through the trees. She looked over to her love and smiled. They shared a knowing look and smirked at each other. They would not make this run easy on the others.</p><p>
  <strong>Camp Jaha</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>An hour later</strong>
</p><p>Clarke was making her way back to check on her people after she had just got back from running when she felt a familiar presence beside her. She stopped and turned and saw Indra, Octavia, and Lexa. She looked at Lexa and Indra and raised an eyebrow at them.</p><p>"Not that I am complaining <em>Heda</em>, but what are you doing following me?" She smirked at her trying to stay formal considering people were around.</p><p>"<em>Skaiheda</em>, I wanted to come along and see the progress for myself. I want to see how well Kane and Indra had been able to work together." She kept her stoic face firm on her face and Clarke knew she was being serious.</p><p>"<em>Sha Heda</em>, I must warn you that Abigail is still in charge for the time being and may not give you the most warm welcome." Clarke knew what would most likely happen but she was curious to see how Lexa would deal with it.</p><p>"<em>Mochaf Skaiheda</em>, we will deal with that if it comes to it. Now shall we continue?" She saw the small smirk form on Lexa's face.</p><p>"<em>Sha Heda</em>." She turned and continued making her way to the gates of Camp Jaha.</p><p>Clarke was nervous now more than ever. She knew what Lexa was doing and it worried her. She was honestly afraid of what her mother would say when she came into camp with the commander and her general. She was hoping everything would go smoothly and quickly but when it came to dealing with her mother it was never easy.</p>
<hr/><p>They approached the gates with Octavia and Her at the front followed by Indra and Lexa. The gates slowly opened revealing Kane and Abigail standing in the middle of the camp. She saw her mother look at who was with her and saw her face go through a mix of emotions but finally landed on a mix of anger and relief. It was a weird thing to see.</p><p>For the first time, Lexa was able to look at the <em>Skaikru</em> camp. She saw a farm that looked like it had been improved a little bit. She saw a couple more buildings being built from wood and remains of anything they had been able to find. She saw Raven standing beside what she assumed was her shop. Overall it looked like Kane had taken anything and everything Indra was able to provide to heart and tried to work to improve their camp. That was a good sign that Clarke chose correctly.</p><p>They came to a halt once the gates close and she felt the sudden weight of not being welcome hit her full force. She saw the anger on Abigail's face no matter how hard she was trying to hide it. Clarke and Octavia dismounted from their horses and Indra and her were quick to follow suit. Lexa found herself standing to the left of Clarke as they approached her mother. Her hands were behind her back just as Clarke's were. She saw Clarke digging her nails into her palm trying to keep herself under control.</p><p>"Hello Kane, Abigail. Can we talk in your office?" Clarke said as calm and flatly as possible. Lexa knew it was taking everything in her power to stay calm. She had improved greatly and that made Lexa proud.</p><p>"We can but only you and Octavia are allowed." Abigail said staring daggers at Lexa. Lexa never broke her gaze determined to win this stare down.</p><p>"That is not going to happen Abigail. We came here to make sure everything was progressing well for tomorrow. You are aware that we are on the eve of a battle that will change how we live and survive for the foreseeable future?" Lexa watched as Clarke seemed to grow in height as she straightened her back and squared her shoulders just like she had in the war council.</p><p>"I am fully aware of the fact that we are preparing to survive yes. If you ask me this battle is just her brainwashing you into a false sense of security just to betray us and wipe us out." Everyone felt the change in mood around the camp.</p><p>Lexa felt the rage starting to radiate off Clarke. She locked eyes with Clarke and saw her normally bright blue eyes had gone a dark shade of blue and she swore to herself. This was not going to end well.</p><p>"You would be wise to watch your words when talking about <em>Heda</em>, Abigail." Her tone has changed from a calm flat tone to one that had gone lower than normal and made her hair stand up.</p><p>"<em>Heda</em> is here to observe our progress to make sure we are ready for tomorrow. We have this alliance because out of our necessity to survive and our common enemy in Mount Weather." She continued to watch as Clarke became more agitated. She knew something in Clarke was struggling to be let loose.</p><p>"If you care so much about our people Clarke, and you want to lead us so bad then why is this the only the second time you have been here since you had me locked in the air lock?" Lexa had to hide the shock at Abigail's words.</p><p>"It takes more than just being a face for people to see. I have been working and learning ways to help our people survive. I have been making the tough choices for the betterment of our people. What have you done Abigail?" She saw Clarke start to shake. She needed to do something fast.</p><p>Lexa looked over at Octavia and saw the same realization on her face. She nodded at the girl and took a step forward. As she walked in front of Clarke, Octavia moved behind her to try and calm her down.</p><p>"Abigail, I believe that there are more pressing matters to attend to than to berate your daughter who has done everything she can to make sure her people survive. As far as I am concerned you are just a woman who is struggling to deal with the fact that your daughter is a better woman than you are." She saw Kane's eyes look at her in surprise then she saw Abigail's arm twitch. Lexa smiled at her.</p><p>"Before you do anything rash <em>Abi</em>, you should know that me coming along was to watch you and see if what <em>Skaiheda</em> had been telling me was true. It is good to know that she was telling the truth." She turned around and looked at Clarke. She saw the dark blue fading and returning to her normal shade. She let loose a small smile for her eyes only.</p><p>"Kane, I would suggest that you talk to <em>Abi</em> and inform her of our ways. I will excuse her blatant disrespect only once because she is naive. If it is to happen again, my hand will be forced." She spoke sternly to the secret runner of Camp Jaha.</p><p>"<em>Sha Heda</em>." He nodded at her and grabbed Abby by the arm and forcefully pulled her to her office.</p><p>She looked at everyone else that had gathered and found Raven.</p><p>"<em>Reivon</em>, how are things progression with Wick?" Raven walked forward and cocked her eyebrow at Clarke and Her.</p><p>"Everything is ready to go. Just say the word and we can head out." She said with a flat tone. She knew that it would take a while before Raven fully got over the Finn situation.</p><p>"Good. Do you have the radios ready to go as well?" Raven nodded at her.</p><p>"That is good to hear Raven. Can you start to mark with the names of the people they will be assigned to?" Clarke said now standing beside her, fully calmed from her earlier ordeal. She had retained her stoic leader face and now looked more like herself.</p><p>"Yes Clarke I can. I'm just glad you didn't have to plant your mom on her ass again." Raven smirked at her as she turned and headed back to her shop.</p><p>Clarke just shook her head at the back of her head and turned her attention back to her people.</p><p>"<em>Skaikru</em>, it is good to see that you have made vast improvements since I was last here. Tomorrow we face our undecided future head on when we take down Mount Weather. This is our chance to prove to not only ourselves but to <em>Heda</em>, that we are not completely incapable of surviving." All of <em>Skaikru</em> roared in approval of her words. Clarke already had her people behind her and they were willing to follow her.</p><p>"I know a lot of you don't have a lot of fighting knowledge, that is why you have been assigned to teams that will infiltrate the back lines of Mount Weather. You all know your role for tomorrow and we will succeed." Another roar went up from the people gathered.</p>
<hr/><p>Kane and Abigail had come back out at the first eruption of noise and saw Clarke talking to everyone gathered. She was walking back and forth talking to them as a whole. From the entrance of the Ark they couldn't make out every word but the roar that would happen every now and then showed just how much their people believed in Clarke. Abby felt the bile rise in her throat at the thought of the commanders words ringing true. Clarke would never be a leader in her eyes and she was going to do whatever it would take to make sure Clarke had no power.</p><p>Kane smiled at how well Clarke was doing in rallying her people to march into uncertainty. He knew that this battle could cost some of them their lives but hopefully would result in returning the remaining original people that came down from the ark. He knew that the commander had rubbed off on Clarke and it was a good thing. She was coming into her own and had found her own way in life. He was proud of who she was becoming and he was proud that she had been able to break away from the vision Abby had for her daughter. He looked over at Abby and saw the daggers being thrown at Clarke and The commander. He shook his head at the talking he just had with her having no weight. She was going to push too far and both Clarke and the Commander's hands would be forced. He was not looking forward to that day.</p>
<hr/><p>Everyone soon dispersed and went back to what they were doing. Clarke turned and found the green eyes she was looking for. She smiled at her.</p><p>"So <em>Heda</em>, do you think we will do okay?" they were making their way over to Raven shop as she asked this.</p><p>"With you leading them <em>Skaiheda</em> they will do just fine." the corner of her mouth twitched upwards.</p><p>They came up to the entrance to Raven's shop and they were met by her. Raven still had an eyebrow cocked at the both of them. Lexa was convinced that it was permanently stuck in that manner. Raven smirked at them and made a motion with her head to tell them to follow her inside.</p><p>Clarke entered first closely followed by Lexa then Octavia and Indra came in next. She kept waiting to see if her mother would show her face again but was pleasantly surprised when it was just Kane that entered next. He closed the door behind him and smiled at everyone in the room.</p><p>Lexa looked around the room and was looking over everything. She didn't know what half of the stuff in here was used for or what it did. She walked around the area taking everything in with Clarke right beside her. She eventually made her way back to the center of the room where a table was set up and chairs were positioned around it.</p><p>Everyone was sitting around it just like they were in the house the first time she was here. She let loose a smile at the people gathered. She knew that the people in this room would be there for Clarke when she needed them the most. They took their respective seats at the head of the table and let loose a quick sigh of relief.</p><p>"First off I would like to thank all of you for doing everything you can to prepare for the upcoming battle. I know these past few weeks have been difficult for all of us. Tomorrow will be no different." Clarke took a breath to center herself. She was about to ask her closest friends to go into tomorrow with no promise of survival.</p><p>"Raven, I will need you to distribute the radios before you and Wick leave at midday. We ideally will want to be going into this battle under the cover of night. That should give you and Bellamy enough time to do your parts." Raven nodded at her understanding that she had her time to leave.</p><p>"Have we heard from Bellamy recently?" This was the part she was most curious about. They had only heard from Bellamy once since he warned them of the missile.</p><p>"He contacted me early this morning. He had been able to get in touch with Monty and together they had found a way to disable the fog. They figured that they would do it when everyone was at dinner tomorrow. That puts you marching towards the mountain as the sun sets. He also told me that he had found a woman by the name of <em>Echo kom Azgeda</em> in one of the cages. She is willing to help get both of our people out of there." As Raven spoke Clarke felt Lexa tense up. Everyone saw the change in her and Raven stopped talking.</p><p>"Lexa what is it?" Clarke asked her, concerned at the sudden reaction to the mention of Echo.</p><p>"<em>Echo kom Azgeda</em>, is a feared assassin in our lands. She was and still is to my knowledge the best assassin <em>Nia kom Azgeda</em> has. She was the one that dealt a blow to me that rocked my world. There is no telling how long she has been in the mountain and if she can be trusted. We will need to be careful and watch her closely." Clarke felt the tension radiating off her. She saw the commander face in full force and knew this had to do with something in her past.</p><p>"<em>Sha Leska</em>," Clarke said using her <em>Trikru</em> name to calm her down a little. She nodded at Raven to continue.</p><p>"He has been able to find allies in the mountain that don't agree with what their leader is doing. They have been helping him hide since he was discovered. So far he has not been caught" Raven took a breath before she relaid his last message to them.</p><p>"His last words before he had to go was to tell <em>Skai Prisa</em> that no matter what happened he would find her after the battle." Raven looked at Clarke as she said his last words. She saw the shock and confusion cross her face as it did on Lexa's as well.</p><p>"What on earth does that mean Raven?" Clarke was agitated and confused. Those words normally meant that someone was planning on doing something stupid.</p><p>"He said that he had a plan to try and save the kids that are in the mountain but it could cost him his life. He is hoping that he will be able to save as many as he can before we storm the mountain." Raven was telling a half truth right now. She didn't dare mention to Clarke that he had expressed how much he actually had come to care for her and that after the battle was over he was going to find her and try to pursue something with her.</p><p>Clarke took this in for a moment. She stood up and paced back in forth trying to wrap her mind around what Bellamy was trying to do. She wanted to keep them safe as well but if it came down to it she was honestly prepared to do whatever it took to save her people.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>"Tomorrow will challenge your ability to make the tough call Skaiheda. Will you be able to make that call when the time is right?" The voice that she had heard twice now decided to speak to her again. She must have jumped slightly because Lexa looked over at her with an eyebrow raised. She just nodded that she was ok and continued to pace.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"If I have to, I will because it may be the only way to save my people. I have already thought about every scenario and prepared for them. If I had to guess I already know the tough call I may have to make and I don't like it."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You are correct it is not the most ideal choice and it will be difficult but I would not have chosen you if you were not strong Skaiheda."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The woman from the dream she had appeared to her in her mind now. She was a spitting image of Clarke except her hair was longer and braided. Her muscle structure was more defined and toned. This version of her looked older and had gone through hell from the scars on her face but it was her face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You future Skaiheda will be difficult and dangerous but I can tell you that with Heda by your side you will also enjoy many adventures and happiness. I am here to help and guide you through all of this. Tomorrow will be one of the toughest days of your life and when it is over we will become one. We will become Wanheda." The woman smiled at her. Clarke was stunned but not shocked. She already talked to Lexa about this and even Lexa was sure something was going on that was outside of their control.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Then I guess we will be seeing more of each other, because I do not plan on falling tomorrow." Clarke smirked at the older version of herself. Wanheda chuckled at her smirk.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"We shall see Skaiheda. Now you should probably get out of your head. Lexa is starting to worry."</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>She looked over at her love and saw the worried expression on everyone's face. She shook her head and made her way back to the table. Once she was sat down she felt calm even with the circumstances surrounding the current gathering.</p><p>"Everything okay <em>Ai hodnes</em>?" Lexa whispered to her.</p><p>"<em>Sha Ai hodnes. Ai laik kei.</em>"( Yes my love, I am okay.) Lexa looked at her questioning. Clarke was still learning their language and to this point had not spoken more than just a couple words in her language. Clarke just smiled at her and turned back to everyone else.</p><p>"We will still proceed as planned. Raven and her team will leave at midday for the damn. Indra and her team will head for the reaper tunnels to secure that entrance for us. Heda and I will be with the army marching for the front door." She saw reality hit everyone at the same time. These were their orders for war.</p><p>"War brings out the worst in all of us. You will be someone completely different tomorrow and it will scare you. You must do everything and anything in your power to complete your mission. Skaikru will be seeing their first taste of war and it will change all of you. After tomorrow all of Skaikru will be seen as warriors as they help take down the mountain and I am glad to have met all of you." Lexa spoke to everyone gathered. They may have been <em>goufas</em> here on the ground but they have shown the ability to adapt.</p><p>"It is getting late and we all will need to go into tomorrow with clear heads." Clarke stood up and was soon followed by Lexa. Everyone stood up and bowed at them acknowledging them as leaders.</p><p>Clarke and Lexa made their way out of Raven's shop and started toward the stable where their horses were being kept. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her mother standing at the entrance to the ark. She could tell from her something was going on in her mind but she did not have time to worry about that tonight. She nodded her head at her mother and turned and continued heading for her horse.</p><p>They exited the gates of Camp Jaha and made their way back to where she had been staying for almost the last month now. She glanced to her side and was met by the gaze of her love. Her heart skipped a beat like it always had when she locked eyes with the deep forest green eyes of Lexa. She thought back to the first day she came down here with the purpose of getting to Mount Weather just to survive. Now here she was, in a relationship with the woman who sent 300 of her own people to kill them, about to go to war with said Mountain. She chuckled to herself at how crazy things can change in a matter of a couple months.</p>
<hr/><p>They arrived at the camp just as the sun had fully set. She dismounted her horse and fell in step with Lexa. They walked in silence till they were outside of her tent. Lexa nodded her head and she followed her inside. Clarke was sure now that there would be more questions about them than ever before but she could care less. She wanted to see where this was going.</p><p>She leaned against the map table and watched as Lexa took off her armor and carefully put it where she stored it at the end of the day. She was now in a black shirt and pants and Clarke felt the heat rise in her. Her mouth started to go dry at the sight. She had seen Lexa like this only once and it was after a long training session and it took everything in her willpower not to act on her feelings right then.</p><p>Lexa turned around and slowly made her way over to Clarke. She stopped in front of her and pulled her into a kiss. Clarke could feel the emotion she was pouring into this kiss and she made her feel home. She felt her start to slowly undo every strap that held all of her weapons in place and carefully set them on the table behind them, never once breaking contact with her lips. Next went her reinforced jacket and the weapons on her thighs. She was now in her own black shirt and jeans. Lexa pulled back slightly and smiled at her.</p><p>"Stay with me tonight. I want to hold you before we face a war." Clarke nodded at her and she was led to Lexa's bed.</p><p>She watched Lexa ditch her pants and shoes and climbed in bed holding the blanket up as if inviting her to join her. Clarke followed suit and shed her pants and shoes and climbed next to her. She sank into the bed and let out a sigh of content. She laid her head on Lexa and pulled her close not wanting to let this moment die.</p><p>Lexa felt content for the first time in a long time. Her hand started running through Clarke's hair and she felt like she had finally found her home. She would have never guessed when Clarke fell from the sky, they would be here now but she was happy they were.</p><p>"No matter what happens tomorrow Ai hodnes, we will have each other. I won't let you down." she kissed the top of her head and pulled her close to her wanting to hold her all night.</p><p>"I know Lexa, I just hope that we are doing the right thing." she tilted her head up slightly to look into her eyes.</p><p>"All we can do is what we have planned for. Plans can change in war and we will have to adapt to those changes. I know you are scared Clarke and I am as well. My people have lived in fear of the Mountain for as long as I can remember. Tomorrow we will finally bring peace to everyone and I will make sure to keep our alliance afterwards. I meant what I said to you earlier. I want you by my side Clarke." She kissed her lips and smiled at how natural this felt for them only knowing each other for a short amount of time.</p><p>"I want the same thing Lexa." Clarke yawned as she struggled to stay awake. The toll of the day finally catching up with her.</p><p>"<em>Rest nau Ai hodnes.</em>" (Rest now my love.) Lexa said as she felt Clarke snuggle closer to her. She heard her breathing start to even out and knew she was asleep. She smiled to herself and the feeling of having Clarke in her arms in her bed. She would make sure form now on her tent was now their tent.</p><p>Just as she was closing her eyes she heard Becca tell her to prepare for the worst tomorrow and that her duty was to her people. She just told her that she was well aware of that and to let her sleep in peace for once. As she drifted off to sleep she saw an image of Clarke and her swords in hand, fighting side by side.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 2: The Battle for Mount Weather Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>The next day</strong>
</p>
<p>Clarke awoke with arms wrapped around her and the smell of earth and pine surrounding her. Her mind flashed back to the previous night and Lexa telling her to stay with her. She smiled and snuggled further into the embrace. She heard a slight giggle come from her love and she looked up and found green eyes full of amusement. She leaned up and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before setting back down to where she had slept, content to stay here the whole day.</p>
<p>She felt Lexa move and readjust to lay on her back. Her head was now resting on her chest while Lexa was playing with her hair. She let out a content sigh and contemplated whether she wanted to move or stay here as long as possible.</p>
<p>"Clarke as much as I would love to stay like this all day, It is already after sunrise and we have many things to do today." she felt Lexa give her a kiss on her head and she still didn't move.</p>
<p>"I know Lexa, I just am not sure if I am ready to lead my people into uncertainty." She sat up on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands trying to mentally prepare herself for today.</p>
<p>Lexa looked at her love and knew exactly what she was going through. It was hard to ask people that you are supposed to lead to go into something that they know will most likely wind up with their death. She had learned this very early after she had ascended to the throne and had to deal with an uprising in the south. It was her first major battle and she thankfully had Anya to talk to. She moved to sit next to Clarke and laid her head on her shoulder.</p>
<p>"I know that this is rough for you Clarke, It is something that you have never had to deal with before. I know deep down you know that you can do this but you are afraid because people may die?" She started to rub her back trying to offer support while talking her through her doubts.</p>
<p>"I know I can too but you are correct. It is not in my nature to let people die. I am a healer at heart but I know that to survive we have to fight and that is my conflict. How can I expect to help everyone if I can not save everyone?" She heard the sniffles and sobs start to form. Lexa's heart hurt for her.</p>
<p>"In times of war we must do our best to ensure the outcome is favorable. Will there be casualties? Yes there always is. Clarke, your people would not be willing to fight this battle if they did not believe that you can lead them to victory. Your people adore you Clarke. You give them hope and provide them the courage and strength to fight for a new life." She was kneeling in front of her and holding her hands trying to speak some of her own words of courage to her.</p>
<p>"The way they responded to your words yesterday showed me that you were born to lead. I am proud of everything you have accomplished since I first met you. You have done so much to help everyone while doing what was necessary. We both carry the burden so our people do not have to." Clarke was now looking into her eyes and searching for any doubt in her words.</p>
<p>"How did you know exactly what to say to shake my doubt?" she smirked at her stilling trying to believe everything.</p>
<p>"I have been where you are now Clarke. On the eve of a battle and doubting myself. I asked myself all of the things that are going on in your head and Anya pulled me out of my head and made me realize that I was doing the best I knew how. She showed me everything I needed to see and hear." She pulled Clarke up with her as she stood and pulled her close and hugged her.</p>
<p>"You don't talk about her enough. She obviously was more to you than just your mentor." Clarke was now smiling at her.</p>
<p>"I promise I will start telling you more about my past after we win this war. Anything you want to know I will tell you. I know you know bits and pieces but I have lived through so much I lose track of what I have told you." She smirked at her and let her go.</p>
<p>Clarke whimpered at the loss of her touch but started to find where her clothes had been moved to. She looked around at where she had left them and realized that they were nowhere to be found. She heard Lexa chuckle at her frantic searching and she looked at her standing in the middle of the room with a pile of clothes.</p>
<p>"I had them washed for you last night." She walked over to her and took the clothes from her and thanked her.</p>
<p>She walked over to where her gear had been stored and started to change. She pulled on her jeans and her shirt. She laced up her boots and made sure they were tied tight enough not to come undone. She looked at the armor stand that held her jacket and noticed a new one was in its place.</p>
<p>She stood up from her chair and looked over her new piece of gear. It was a black leather trench coat that had been sewn together with blue thread. It came with reinforced leather throughout the coat. It came with a black leather hood attached to the neck. She undid the buckles that were across the chest and took it off the stand. It was not too heavy and would allow her to move easily in combat. As she looked at the back of the coat she noticed that there were two angled sheathes sewn into the leather for two of her daggers to be put in. She smiled at the detail and thought that had gone into this.</p>
<p>She pulled the jacket on and it fit perfectly. She buckled the vest that was sewn into the inner part of the jacket. She held out her arms and noticed that there was a sheath sewn into each arm for a small dagger. She started to put the rest of her gear on starting with her thigh sheathes and their respective weapons. She then put two of the newer daggers she had requested into the sheath on the back of her coat and they slid in with ease. She took two of her smallest daggers and slid them, one each into the sheathes on her forearms.</p>
<p>She stood up and grabbed her sword from where it was laying on the table. She put her right arm through the sling and adjusted it till she was able to grab the hilt of the sword with her left hand with ease. She turned back to the corner of the room and saw a mirror was standing in the corner. She walked over to it and looked at the person starting back at her.</p>
<p>No longer was Clarke the girl that fell from the sky and was lost standing here. Now Skaiheda was front and center and she had changed. Her muscles had started to tone, her hair had gotten longer, and her face had started to harden. She was looking at herself for what felt like for every when she saw a familiar face appear in the mirror beside her.</p>
<p>She saw the piercing yet soft gaze of her love with her warpaint already in place. She saw the smile on her face that told her it was still Lexa standing here with her.</p>
<p>"I almost don't recognize myself Lexa. It is kinda strange but doesn't feel wrong." Lexa smiled at her and didn't move.</p>
<p>"I know how you feel but there is one thing you are missing. Come with me." Lexa led her by the hand to a table close by. She sat down in one of the chairs and looked at what was on the table.</p>
<p>In front of them were two jars of colored paint. One was blue and one was black and there were different size sponges and brushes as well.</p>
<p>"Every warrior has warpaint for when they go into battle. You are no exception Clarke. You have proven to be a warrior and it is time for you to have your own warpaint. If you trust me I have a design in mind." Clarke nodded at her and Lexa smiled.</p>
<p>"Close your eyes <em>Ai hodnes</em>." Clarke did as she was told and felt her nerves out excitement rush over her.</p>
<p>She felt the coolness of the paint as it was applied to her face. She felt the delicate touch that Lexa was using trying to make sure everything was right. She sat as still as possible not wanting to cause her any issues while she was doing this for her. She sat there for five minutes while Lexa donned her face in a chosen warpaint. She felt Lexa stand and pull her up with her.</p>
<p>"Keep your eyes shut till I tell you to open them." She felt her breath on her ear as she was being led somewhere. The anticipation was starting to get to her. She walked a few steps in a direction before she came to a halt.</p>
<p>"You may open your eyes now <em>Skaiheda</em>, <em>Ai hodnes</em>."</p>
<p>Clarke slowly opened her eyes and gasped at the sight in front of her. On her face were two black wings that spread out from her nose to the edge of her face. Each feather reached upwards to the sky as if trying to show off. On each wing there were sky blue stars dotted across each feather. She was taken aback by how beautiful it was.</p>
<p>"You are the angel that fell from the night sky and changed my world. I wanted to express that while reminding you of where you came from." She was fighting back the tears at the thought Lexa put into turned around and faced her. She pulled her into a kiss trying to express just how much it meant to her. She pulled back and smiled at her.</p>
<p>"It is wonderful Lexa. Thank you." She turned back to the mirror and looked at it more. She pulled her hood up and realized that with her face shielded she looked intimidating. She loved the hood while keeping her Skaiheda face inplace and realized that it worked to perfection.</p>
<p>Skaiheda was now complete and here in full force. Beside her stood her love and Heda. They both stared at the mirror and studied the other. Lexa knew they were stronger like this. Underneath the pain and armor were their true selves. Looking in the mirror she saw two warriors and leaders standing side by side hand in hand and it made her feel stronger.</p>
<p>"I wonder how <em>Skaikru</em> will react to seeing me?" Clarke said never taking her eyes off Lexa's reflection.</p>
<p>"Why don't we find out. You are Skaiheda and you have some things to deal with if I remember correctly." She saw her smile and nod in agreement.</p>
<p>"I do Heda. Shall we go handle those matters at Camp Jaha?" Clarke turned and looked at her love.</p>
<p>"After we eat <em>Ai hodnes</em>. I had one of the guards bring in breakfast while you were changing." Clarke just shook her head and chuckled at her.</p>
<p>"Of course you did." They walked into the main room of her tent and sat at the table and started to eat. Clarke had told herself that this was the best part of being on the ground.</p>
<p>"What do we have to deal with today?" Lexa asked as she ate.</p>
<p>"Well I need to make sure that Raven is ready to go and has everything she needs. Then Kane and Abigail need to be filled in on the plan, well my mother does at least." she chuckled at the fact that her mother still had no clue what was going to happen today.</p>
<p>"I am still amazed that she hasn't tried to talk to you more at least when it comes to the plan."</p>
<p>"My mother is more worried about who is following her and trying to lead the way they did on the ark then come up with a plan. She has no ounce of fight in her when it comes to fighting a war. That's why I am going to have her stay back and tend to the wounded." Lexa watched as Clarke clinched her hand into a fist around her knife. She reached out and placed her hand on top of her arm.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you have done everything to try and make her see that she is not helping. I had Kane try to talk to her yesterday. Now if that did any good remains to be seen but if she steps out of line today you can not have any leniency. Today you have to separate Abigail the chancellor from Abby your mother." Clarke looked at her and saw the concern on her face even as she spoke.</p>
<p>Lexa was right, it was time for her to stop tolerating her mother's bullshit. Today would be different. Her mother would fall in line with her orders or be locked up and Jackson would be promoted to lead Healer.</p>
<p>"Thank you Lexa, you always know what to say." she smiled as she relaxed the death grip on her knife.</p>
<p>"I care about you Clarke. I don't want you to have to do anything drastic today but know that you have my support." Lexa moved her hand and continued to eat her meal.</p>
<p>"Thank you Lexa, your support means the world right now. I never thought I would be here today with someone I care for but I am glad we are here now." She smiled at her and continued to eat in a comfortable silence.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They finished their meal and made sure their warpaint was still in place as they made their way out of the tent for last time today. Lexa and her took a moment to look over the camp and both of them let out a breath. Everywhere they looked people were moving about at a faster pace. Everyone knew the importance of today and how they needed to be prepared for whatever came their way.</p>
<p>Clarke was following Lexa by her side and was surprised when everyone was giving her the same treatment that Lexa normally got. She turned her head slightly and raised an eyebrow at her and only received the slightest hint of a smirk in answer. She shook her head and kept walking in stride as they headed for the stables. Clarke didn't know how today would change her but she was honestly looking forward to putting this behind them so she could further her relationship with Lexa and continue to learn.</p>
<p>They reached the stables and each found their respective horses. Clarke had grown fond of her horse and found herself when she was not training or leading her people, taking her horse and going on rides with Octavia in the surrounding woods. She walked up to her horse and it recognized her immediately. In front of her stood a black and white appaloosa. She walked up to her and let her smell her scent by holding her hand up to her nose. It let out a pleased whinny and she smiled at her horse.</p>
<p>"Hey Starlight, we have a big day ahead of us." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of apple slices and held them out for her to eat. She giggled at the tickling sensation that took over her hand.</p>
<p>"Yeah I know those are your favorite and I promise to try and get you some more okay?" Starlight nodded her head in what she took as an agreement.</p>
<p>She found her tack and started to put everything on her horse. She talked calmly to her as she saddled her. Once she was done she grabbed the reins and led her out of her stall. She stopped just outside of the stable and saw Lexa was already mounted on her horse. She smiled at her and proceeded to mount Starlight. Thankfully she had gotten used to doing this over the last few weeks. The first time she had tried to get on a horse it took her awhile.</p>
<p>"<em>Skaiheda</em>, are you ready to go?" she heard Octavia call to her as she exited the stable.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Okteivia</em>." she replied as she saw the smirk form on Lexa's face. She knew that Lexa liked it when she talked in her native tongue.</p>
<p>Lexa and her left the gate of the stable at the same time followed by Indra and Octavia. They slowly made their way to the front gates of Camp Jaha. Their hoods were up but their faces were visible this time. Clarke looked up at the sun and saw it was halfway to its peak for the day. The day was already moving faster than she had realized. They would be in a fight for survival before they knew it.</p>
<p>She took a breath to calm her rising nerves as the gates of Camp Jaha came into view. She sat up straighter in her saddle and started to mentally go into <em>Skaiheda</em> mode. She looked over at Lexa and saw that she was doing the same thing. She was still amazed how normal this started to become for her. She had two different people inside her and it was normal now. She held the person Lexa and her were in private so close to her heart and it made her feel alive.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They arrived at the gates to the Camp and they slowly opened when one of the guards recognized her finally. Well the war paint made that more difficult but it made her feel different at the same time. They made their way inside once more and led their horses to the stables. They dismounted and Clarke made her way over to Lexa. She pulled her to a secluded spot real quick and pulled her into a quick kiss. Lexa stiffened at first, because this was the first time they had done this outside of her tent. She relaxed quickly and returned it in earnest. She pulled back and smiled at her love.</p>
<p>"What was that for Clarke?" She smiled back at her enjoying the moment for what it was.</p>
<p>"I just needed to do that before we are not able to for a while."</p>
<p>"I am glad you did. I needed it as well, <em>Ai hodnes</em>. We will get through this day and afterwards we can move towards further securing <em>Skaikru's</em> place in the coalition." She beamed at her as they put their faces back on and walked out of the secluded area.</p>
<p>They were met by Octavia and Indra who just sent them a knowing look and they just nodded back at them. Lexa was glad they had filled them in on their relationship. It allowed them small moments to themselves. They all walked together to the center of town hoods situated back in place.</p>
<p>This whole process seemed all too familiar for Clarke. She was hoping this time everything went smoothly and her mother didn't cause any unnecessary problems today. They arrived in the center of everyone that had gathered when their arrival had been announced. Clarke looked eyes with her mother and could tell that she was trying to fight back any anger she had towards Lexa. That is an improvement already Clarke thought.</p>
<p>They came to a halt standing opposite Kane and Abby. Lexa and Clarke removed their hoods at the same time and a slow gasp came out from everyone once Clarke raised her head to look at all of them. Something unexpected happened next that took her by surprise. All of her people fell to one knee bowing their heads at her. The only person that was slow to fall to a knee was her mother. She gave her a pointed look and saw Kane drag her down.</p>
<p>"You may rise <em>Skaikru</em>" she said in an even level commanding tone. Lexa was shocked but not surprised by the display Skaikru showed. To her they had finally come to their senses after the last few weeks.</p>
<p>Clarke turned and looked at Lexa and saw a small smirk on her face but it quickly was replaced and she gave her a nod to continue. Together they approached Abby and Kane and greeted them. Kane greeted them the way he had seen the <em>Trikru</em> warriors greet each other and Lexa gave him a small smile in appreciation. Abby on the other hand still was apprehensive but said her greeting to the both of them.</p>
<p>"<em>Abi</em>, is there someplace we can talk so everyone can return to preparing for tonight?" Clarke stood beside her and watched the interaction ready to intervene if necessary.</p>
<p>"This way Commander. We can use my office." Abby turned and led them towards the entrance of the ark.</p>
<p>Clarke looked at Kane with a raised eyebrow and was met by a look of shock as well. She knew then that he was not expecting this as well. Lexa saw the interaction between them and realized neither of them had planned this outcome either. Maybe Abigail had realized the importance of today and decided to work with them. It would definitely make filling her in on the plan easier.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They followed Abby through the narrow halls of the Ark and Lexa for the first time felt uneasy. She was used to the open air and open spaces of her meeting halls. She felt caged and wondered if this is how Clarke had felt all the time. She felt Clarke squeeze her hand and she looked over at her. Clarke leaned over and whispered to her that she would be all right and that she was here for her. She was able to wrangle her nerves and the feelings of being caged just as they made it to Abby's office.</p>
<p>Once inside Abby made her way to her chair and sat down in it not waiting for anyone else to sit. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible so she could continue doing her own research Into the best way to break Clarke away from the commander. She was determined to rescue her daughter from this tyrant that had held her daughter against her will. She was going to do whatever it took even if that meant taking out Lexa. She just needed the help from someone that was currently not available.</p>
<p>Clarke and Lexa took the two seats that were provided for them and set down together never breaking eye contact with Abby. Clarke was waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop and this all to go sideways. The silence in the room was unsettling for her as was the hatred radiating off her mother. She saw the stare down going on between the two and was happy when her mother looked away first and fixed her gaze on her.</p>
<p>"Clarke, I see you have taken more of their customs to heart. I must say that while I am still not fully behind you as our leader, your people seem to think otherwise. The display earlier was something they did on their own." Abby kept her tone flat and even as best as she could.</p>
<p>"They respect you and see that you are the reason for this alliance. While I still think that you are a child, Kane has brought it to my attention that without you and Bellamy most if not all of you would be dead. I hope that we can work together from now on and you will see that we can offer you more than what she can." She saw the slight tense in the commander's body and she was not expecting to see her daughter squeeze her hand. It was quick enough that if she hadn't been watching she would have missed it.</p>
<p>"Chancellor, so far you have done nothing but try to break up this alliance and now you want to work with us? Excuse me for wondering what caused the sudden change?" Lexa kept her tone even and flat. She knew why Abby had said what she did. It was to get a rise out of her and she hated the fact that it caused her to tense.</p>
<p>"I have come to the understanding that this battle will have casualties and I will be of use as a healer. That is where I will be best suited so, in short yes it would be beneficial to work with your healers today." Clarke was trying to get a read on her mother and saw the slight smirk and flicker of something on her face that told her that her mother was up to something.</p>
<p>"Well since you brought up being a healer Chancellor, that is part of what we needed to discuss. Skaiheda and I have decided that it is time to fill you in on the plan for the battle. You will need to know where every group is being sent so you will be able to provide adequate care for our wounded." Lexa watched as the brief shock crossed her face at the news that she was not being kept up to speed on everything. She knew based on this reaction that Kane and Raven had done their job in keeping her at bay.</p>
<p>"We can arrange to have a medical outpost set up for you if you would like, Chancellor?" Clarke spoke to her mother for the first time since coming into the office. She was intrigued by the back and forth Lexa was having with her mother.</p>
<p>"It would be easier to be closer to the front lines and between Jackson, your healers and I. We should be able to assist anyone that needs attention. It would be a great help to have that outpost." Lexa nodded at Kane and Clarke understanding that this was a start for them.</p>
<p>"Chancellor, you should know that Raven, Wick and a small team of <em>Trikru</em> warriors will be leaving for the dam at midday and they should arrive there just after nightfall. Once inside they will take out the generators and knock out the power to the complex. We are expecting them to have backup generators but those will not run the whole complex." Clarke spoke and watched her mother's face and body closely as she took in the news.</p>
<p>"Once Bellamy receives word from Raven that the power has been disabled he will disable the fog from the inside and we will be able to approach the mountain." She looked over at Lexa and nodded to her.</p>
<p>"Once he has completed his task, my army will march for the entrance to mount weather. Octavia, Lincoln, Indra and some Trikru will head for the tunnels. Once we are at the door Monty and Bellamy should be able to open the door and we will use some items Clarke found to knock the <em>Maunden</em> out." She kept her voice even and flat as she spoke. Lexa had been watching Abigail and was still unsure of how much she should believe her.</p>
<p>"Once we are inside the mountain we are going to head for the cells and rescue our people. This will be a fight and both Skaiheda and I are expecting there to be casualties for both sides. We have come to the conclusion that to take down the mountain it may come at a cost and we both have agreed this is the only way." Lexa looked over at Clarke as she finished giving the overview of the plan they had been working on for weeks.</p>
<p>Clarke was still amazed at how in a short amount of time they were able to pick up where the other left off. She nodded in agreement to her and turned back to her mother. So far her mother had not said a whole lot since they started to brush over the plan. They had decided to give her the basic details in order to gauge how she would take it. She was watching her face waiting for a reaction when Kane cleared his throat. All three of the women turned and looked at him.</p>
<p>"It sounds to me that you both have thought this through as much as you can. Is there anything else we can do to help?" Leave it to Kane to ease the tension in the room.</p>
<p>"As of the moment just continue to prepare our people. We will need the ones trained to fight ready to leave when we do. The ones that cannot fight will assist Abby and Jackson where they can. Anyone who wants to stay here is welcome to." She knew that some of her people were not fighters and that they would be more of a detriment than a help.</p>
<p>"They will be ready to leave when you are <em>Skaiheda</em>." Kane knew using the name the commander had given Clarke would further enforce to Abby that Clarke was in fact the defacto leader of their people no matter how much Abby hated it.</p>
<p>Abby saw now that even Kane was firmly behind Clarke as their leader. She was realizing that she had no allies here at Camp and it was starting to irritate her. Her daughter had somehow already reigned control over their people without her knowing. The more she thought about it the more pieces started to fall into place. She had been duped into thinking she was still in control. Her title was just that, a title now. It no longer held any weight behind it. Her only saving grace was Bellamy and how he had told her that he wanted to be with her daughter. She would be able to use that later for her own gain.</p>
<p>"Clarke, how long have you been going behind my back and making decisions for our people?" All three heads snapped toward her and the look of panic, that briefly flashed on her face told her all she needed to know.</p>
<p>"I have been making the decisions necessary in order to secure our place here on the ground. I was making the sacrifices before you came down here Abigail. You have no idea what we went through before you landed here. You don't know the battle we were already in before the remaining 100 were captured by the mountain. You know nothing of what you sentenced us to when you shot us down here." Clarke was starting to shift between Skaiheda and Wanheda. She could feel her anger rising and her senses itching for a fight.</p>
<p>"<em>Skaiheda</em>." Clarke turned toward where she heard her name coming from and saw the green eyes of Lexa. Slowly she started to even out.</p>
<p>"Abigail, we are down here for now. If anything else comes up that is deemed pertinent for you to know, you will be informed. Kane, will you walk with us?" He nodded and stood up as they did and followed them out the door.</p>
<p>Abby sat there taking in what just happened. She felt the anger start to radiate off of Clarke. She saw the change in her face and the way her voice started to change. What had happened here to change her daughter so drastically? She turned around in her chair and reached for a drawer in the cabinet behind her. She opened the drawer and inside was rolled up paper, a necklace, pictures of when her family was still together and happy, underneath all of that was a hidden compartment that held her plans.</p>
<p>She opened the compartment and pulled a notebook. It was leather bound and clasped together with a leather strap. She undid the clasp and opened it to the first page and started to reread through her notes on everything she had seen or heard since she landed on the ground. She got to the last page she had written and looked at the title of this entry. "Chemicals". Abby had been studying anything she was able when it came to chemicals and how to use them to better suit her in her medical practice. It wasn't until she got here on the ground that she started to think of different ways to use these chemicals for warfare. If she was able to harness them in this way it would give them a step up on the grounders.</p>
<p>She had seen the devastation the fog had caused to those who had been caught in it. She had grabbed one of the gas grenades from the box Clarke had brought back from a bunker they had found. She had begun to try and figure out how it worked, what the chemical compound used was and every little detail she could. He scanned through her notes that she had made over the last couple days and decided that turning this into a bigger version would allow her and Bellamy to gas the commander's camp and rescue her daughter. Now all she had to do was get past the battle and talk with Bellamy.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Raven's workshop</strong>
</p>
<p>Raven watched the monitor closely as the meeting between Clarke, Lexa, Kane and Abby played out. Kane had requested her to modify the security cameras stationed around the ark the best she could so they had audio capabilities. It was not the easiest thing to do and she had only been able to get two of the cameras to record audio. One of those cameras was located in the chancellor's office.</p>
<p>Raven was able to tell Abby was getting under Clarke and Lexa's skin just by her choice in words. She was playing it cool and peppering her doubt in between her half-hearted attempt at understanding. Her ears perked up when she heard Abby ask about how long Clarke had been running things behind her back. She stiffened, trying to recall anyway Abby had been tipped off to what was really going on. She was not expecting the change in Clarke's voice as her anger rose and it startled her to her core.</p>
<p>She watched as Lexa reached over and pulled Clarke out of the state she was in. If she wasn't sure there was something going on between them she had her answer now. She had come to the realization that Clarke didn't care for Finn like she had and it caused her to look at her differently. Clarke had done what was necessary at the time to ease the tension that had been brewing over what he had done. She shook herself out of her memories and watched as the three of them left Abby by herself.</p>
<p>She saw her turn around and pull a book out of a compartment in the cabinet behind her. She couldn't see what it said but she knew if it was being hidden then Abby wanted no one to find it. She made a note of where the drawer was located and how she would be able to access it later and make copies. She had been given clear instruction from Kane to watch everything Abby was up to. He knew that she would push too far one day and that they would need proof of her actions.</p>
<p>She watched for five more minutes until she heard a knock on her workshop door. She turned the monitor around and headed to answer the door. She pulled open the door and was met by a furious Commander and Clarke, with Kane following behind them. She turned to the side and extended her arm in a motion to allow them inside.</p>
<p>They made their way to the table in the middle of her shop and Clarke immediately gripped the edge of the table turning her knuckles white. Raven knew something was wrong but from the look of both Lexa and Clarke's face she kept to herself.</p>
<p><em>Revion</em>, lock the door please and don't speak of anything you are about to see." Lexa commander her and she immediately did as she was told. Lexa scared her right now and didn't want to try anything.</p>
<p>Once the door was locked she turned around and nodded at Lexa and watched as Lexa moved closer to Clarke and wrapped her arms around the girl. She tried to keep her surprise in check as she moved to stand by Kane. She watched as Lexa rubbed small circles on Clarke's lower back and talked to her softly calming her down from whatever was going on. She watched as her face softened and the hardness and fury left her eyes.</p>
<p>Raven was stunned into silence. She knew that she had just seen the commander be human and that she was trusted enough to not say anything. She stood up straighter and vowed to do whatever was necessary to protect this life for the both of them. She saw Clarke nod and say something to the commander as she was led to a chair next to the table. Lexa motioned for them to join them and they looked at each other and just shrugged to the other not knowing really what just happened but had a good guess.</p>
<p>"I would like to apologize for storming in her <em>Revion</em>, I need to get Clarke someplace quiet and away from her mother." Lexa was still rubbing small circles on Clarke's back as she spoke.</p>
<p>"No need to apologize Commander, if I may ask what caused this?" Raven already knew but wanted to know more.</p>
<p>"Raven, anytime I have to deal with my mother I have to be careful or I start to lose control of my anger and just want to fight. I don't know exactly when this started happening but I have an idea." She looked up at the mechanic and she was able to see her eyes had returned to normal.</p>
<p>"Well anytime you need my shop you are welcome to it." She looked over at Kane and raised an eyebrow at him asking a question without saying anything. He just nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Clarke, there is something you should know. I wanted to wait till after today but tomorrow is not guaranteed right now." Raven felt a chill go down her spine knowing she would be leaving for the dam soon.</p>
<p>"What is it Raven?"</p>
<p>"I have rewired the cameras and upgraded two of them to have audio capabilities. One such camera is in the Chancellor's office. After you left I watched you mother turn around and pull out a notebook from a hidden drawer. She was looking through it as you came in here." Raven relayed her newest discovery and waited for her response.</p>
<p>"Well if it is being hidden that could be bad. I got the feeling that she was hiding something and she kept trying to get a rise out of both of us." she looked over at Lexa and saw her nod in agreement.</p>
<p>"Who knows about this?"</p>
<p>"Just Raven and I. I had her do it because I wanted to keep an eye on your mother. My talk I had with her had no effect and I caught her experimenting on one of the gas grenades. She played it off as preparing a way to counteract the side effects of it but I don't buy it." Kane was looking directly at Clarke as he spoke. He knew Abby was reaching levels he would not be able to pull her back from.</p>
<p>"I have been trying to gather as much information on her intentions as I can so that when the time comes we will have an easier time in putting your plan in place <em>Skaiheda</em>." Clarke really was not surprised but she knew that what her mother was doing would not end.</p>
<p>
  <em>"You will have to deal with her later Clarke. I fear that she is starting to affect you in a way that I had not accounted for. I know you have no idea what is going on right now but I will be able to help you tonight and further down the road. Tonight will be your first taste of war and you will lose some of your people."</em>
</p>
<p>Clarke stiffened as she heard the voice start talking to her again. Lexa must have noticed something going on because she started talking to Kane and Raven about what else they had discovered.</p>
<p>"<em>So if I am going to be hearing you more, shouldn't I know who you are?"</em></p>
<p>
  <em>"I am Wanheda. I have been wandering alone for a very long time waiting for you. I know you have many questions but I assure you that you are strong enough to face this world. You and Lexa are fated to bring either an everlasting peace to our land or plunge it into further warfare. Which of those outcomes that come true is up to you two together."</em>
</p>
<p><em>"So let me get this straight, You are the woman that I saw in my dream. The same one that made all of those other people scared shitless and I am supposed to believe that you are here to help me and cause me more pain than I already have?"</em> Clarke was simmering with anger at this news.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Skaiheda. I would not have chosen you if I did not believe we would be able to work together. You will be tested more after tonight and it is all to ensure you can control my power. You have felt some of the effects of my power already."</em> Wanheda materialized in front of her and she had to keep her emotions in check. She was still not sure how she felt about seeing a potential version of herself.</p>
<p><em>"What exactly does your name mean? I know what Lexa's means."</em> Clarke saw the hardening of Wanheda's face.</p>
<p><em>"I can't not tell you at this time. After tonight you will know more."</em> Clarke watched as <em>Wanheda</em> sagged her shoulders.</p>
<p><em>"I am not going to lie to you Clarke. Your life will not be easy and it will not be the most ideal life but you will survive and have a family that you care for."</em> Clarke was taken aback by her words.</p>
<p>
  <em>"How do you know this but do not know which outcome will come true?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I am an alternate version of your future Clarke. In my life you suffered many losses and killed many people. You did not enjoy much happiness in this future. I have learned from my mistakes in helping you the first time."</em>
</p>
<p><em>"Well I hope that you have because I fully plan on making a life for myself down here. If you fuck up my life this time I will find a way to kill you myself."</em> Wanheda watched as the fury took over Clarke and she erupted with a battle cry that made even the Commander of Death shake. She had tried to control Clarke in her timeline. She realized that this version of Clarke was stronger and a fighter compared to the healer that she tried to help before.</p>
<p>Clarke pulled herself out of her mind and tried to control her breathing. She had no idea how to process what had just happened but she was now determined to prove any of her doubters wrong. She was going to slay the mountain and live her life.</p>
<p>"Clarke are you okay?" She heard Raven ask and when she locked eyes with her she saw the fear on her face. She looked next to her and saw Kane with the same expression. She felt pressure being applied to her arm and turned her head and locked eyes with Lexa.</p>
<p>"<em>Skaiheda yu need kom control yourself. Focus ona Ai."(Skaiheda you need to control yourself. Focus on me.)</em> Clarke had no idea how she had just understood what Lexa was saying to her.</p>
<p>"<em>Ai laik trying Leksa. Ai had an unexpected visitor en em pissed me off."(I am trying Lexa. I had an unexpected visitor and she pissed me off.)</em> Lexa needed to keep this going as she noticed the more Clarke talked in her language the more she calmed down.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Chon was disha visitor?"( Who was this visitor?)</em>
</p>
<p><em>"Wanheda."</em> Lexa stiffened at the name. Clarke had been chosen and she could feel Becca trying to force her way into her mind but she blocked it for now.</p>
<p><em>"Oso na deal kom Disha later. Bilaik friends are worried."(We will deal with this later. Your friends are worried.)</em> Clarke nodded at her, still perplexed by her understanding of Lexa's language.</p>
<p>"I am sorry Raven and Kane. I know you have many questions but they will have to wait. I believe it is time for Raven to depart." Clarke stood and instinctively pulled Lexa with her and she hadn't let go of her hand still trying to center herself.</p>
<p>"I will ask you again, are you okay?" Raven was now standing in front of her with concern written all over her face.</p>
<p>"I will be Raven. I am sorry if I scared you." She pulled her into the last hug she would be able to give her friend for a while.</p>
<p>Lexa still had so many questions as well but knew they would figure it out. She was trying to wrap her mind around how her and Clarke had been able to hold a full conversation in her language when Clarke was still learning it. She knew that Clarke being chosen was going to be something they both would have to learn to deal with. She could feel that Becca was not happy with being ignored right now but she needed to focus on Clarke and the upcoming battle.</p>
<p>"Raven, it is time to gather your team and start our plan." Clarke said as Lexa was pulled out of her thoughts.</p>
<p>"Give me five minutes and I'll meet you back here." Clarke nodded and watched as she left to gather her team.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Kane was watching the two remaining women and how they naturally were gravitating towards each other. He knew something had developed between the two leaders and he knew that they were doing everything they can to make sure their people survive. Lexa was the commander of twelve clans but still was able to help Skaikru and Clarke even though they really had not had a whole lot to offer them in return. Clarke had been sent down to the ground to die and had managed to make sure the 100 survived and somehow had managed to secure a tentative alliance to keep them alive.</p>
<p>"Clarke, when do we start sending out people to set up the outpost?" Clarke turned and faced him.</p>
<p>"In the next couple of hours. It will take raven a few hours to get to the damn. We have to be careful as we do not want to alert mount weather to anything." She looked over at Lexa to fill in the next part.</p>
<p>"There is a small village halfway between here and The mountain. I have sent word to this village to be expecting our healers to arrive soon. This village is well hidden and should not have been discovered by the mountain. This would provide the best place for our medical outpost." Kane nodded at them not even surprised that they had already prepared for this even before they knew if Abby would be on board.</p>
<p>"I am afraid to ask how much you two have actually planned for this battle." Kane got his answer when they both just smirked at him.</p>
<p>Raven walked back through the door with Wick and a couple of the older engineers that had come down from the ark. Clarke could tell the older Arkers were slightly intimidated by her. She looked at the four people gathered and she was happy with the people Raven had chosen.</p>
<p>"Thank you all for coming. I know this will not be the easiest task to carry out. Your mission is to knock out the power at the dam." She turned to the big screen in Raven's shop that had a map of the area. Thankfully some of the satellites were still in orbit.</p>
<p>"You will leave here with some of the <em>Trikru</em> and head here." Clarke pointed to a location on the map that had been discovered on one of their scouting missions.</p>
<p>"This is an underground entrance that leads to a parking garage that will let you into the damn. We do not know if this is guarded by Mount Weather. You will need to travel quickly and stay as hidden as possible. We know that Mount Weather has scouts that roam their area around Tondisi and Camp Jaha." She turned and looked back at the people in the room.</p>
<p>"We are planning on catching them by surprise and knocking out the generators before they know you are even there." she looked directly at Raven.</p>
<p>"Once you have the generators knocked out you are to radio Bellamy and get out of there. If you have to fight your way out do so. I know that you all are not known for fighting but if it comes to it you will have to do what you can to get out of there alive." She looked at Raven and Wick and knew they could hold their own. Both of them had been involved in the fighting ring that happened on the ark and were both pretty damn scrappy.</p>
<p>"<em>Heda</em>, had been gracious and offered each of you horses to make the journey quicker. Raven if you are not able to ride by yourself then you can ride with one of the Trikru." She knew that with her leg it could be difficult for her.</p>
<p>"I should be fine <em>Skaiheda</em>, the ride there should be no problem. I came up with a way to make riding in a saddle easier. I figured that we needed to learn to ride at some point to get from place to place." Raven was smiling the biggest grin at her.</p>
<p>"That is good to hear. Now are there any questions?" All of the people gathered shook their head no at her.</p>
<p>"Then take your leave and may we meet again." They all bowed to her and left to go meet with the Trikru that would be showing them the safest way there.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Clarke let out the breath she had been holding. Her plan was now set in motion and there was no turning back. Lexa must have sensed her nerves rising because she was met by green eyes that had an eyebrow raised. She smiled at her trying to let her know she was okay.</p>
<p>"How far away is that village Lexa?" she asked trying to get an idea of when to have her mother leave with the healers.</p>
<p>"It is about two hours from here. With the supplies they are taking with them it would take three to arrive. They should probably leave soon, <em>Klark</em>." She nodded at her.</p>
<p>Clarke knew things were going to move quickly now. She felt like she was running out of time. She sighed as she realized that she was about to have her mother leave the Camp. The thought terrified her because she didn't know if she could fully trust her not to pull anything. She was hoping that her mother would realize that she needed to actually work with the other healers and maybe learn something in the process.</p>
<p>In the few weeks that she had spoken with Nyko, she had learned that they would use the herbs and anything they could find natural to heal their wounds. She first hand had learned this after one one her training sessions with Lexa wound up giving her a nasty cut across her side. She instinctively put her hand on the scar that had formed as a reminder to always be on guard.</p>
<p>"Is Nyko and his healers ready to leave?" She looked at Lexa and she saw that she was being watched by her.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Klark</em>. He is waiting on my word to leave." Lexa had watched her move her hand to the scar on her left side. Lexa still felt bad about doing that to her but it had made Clarke more aware.</p>
<p>"Then let's go tell my mother that she is leaving. This should go well." She rolled her eyes and let out a breath.</p>
<p>Lexa knew what Clarke was going through right now and the toll it was going to take on her. She was hoping they could get through this night and move past this shadow that is blocking a possible future for them. She fell in step beside her as they walked to Abby's office to break the news.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Village halfway to the Mountain</strong>
</p>
<p>They had arrived in the village less than twenty minutes ago. Clarke and Lexa were the first to arrive and greeted the people that lived there. Everyone was happy to see their Heda even though they knew why she was there. The smaller villages that we spread out through Trikru lands held a special part in her heart. She herself was born in a smaller village before it was discovered that she was a <em>Natblida</em>.</p>
<p>This particular village was known for its healers and it was the main reason they both decided this would be the best place for the out post. Lexa and Clarke met with the leader of this village and went over how things would go. At first the woman in charge was hesitant around Clarke. She only spoke in Trigedasleng and Clarke just listened, able to understand most of what she was saying. They had decided that it would be best to keep her understanding of their language a secret for now. It would allow her to relay any information that is being said when Lexa wasn't around.</p>
<p>Eventually the leader relaxed in her presence once Lexa vouched for Clarke. She was asked about the <em>Skaikru</em> healing methods and how they could work together. She gave her as much knowledge as she could and Lexa translated when the leader looked confused. Together they were able to convince her that Skaikru would be an asset in assisting them with healing the wounded that would come from the battle.</p>
<p>They walked around the village and Lexa showed them a place where they could train while they were awaiting the arrival of Abigail and Nyko. Her mind went back to the meeting with her mother. It went better than expected and she was pleasantly surprised at the fear displayed on her mother's face. She could tell that it was finally settling in for her.</p>
<p>"<em>Klark</em>, are we going to train or just stand here?" Lexa asked, giving her a questioning gaze with one eyebrow cocked.</p>
<p>She locked around and saw no one was there which was nice. They wouldn't have to worry about using their title and it relaxed her.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Leksa</em>." She looked over at her and saw she was still in full gear. Clarke knew how this was going to go.</p>
<p>She drew her sword and rolled her shoulders. It had been a couple days since they had trained and she was honestly itching for a fight. She could not pinpoint when she started craving the thrill of being in a fight but she had started to get a rush out of her training sessions with Lexa.</p>
<p>She saw Lexa nod at her letting her know she was ready. She started walking to her right going in a circle trying to watch Lexa's body for any sign of what she would do first. One of the first lessons Lexa taught her was to react and not think too much. Once she started to react more she started to pick up on how Lexa moved and where any potential openings were. She watched as Lexa copied what she was doing. All of the previous training sessions came into her mind as she tried to figure out where she would strike first. She mentally ran through all of the strengths and weaknesses she had picked up on and quickly realized that she had not found many weaknesses when it came to her fighting. Lexa had years of training on her and she knew that the one time she had planted Lexa she had gotten lucky.</p>
<p>Clarke didn't know how long they had for this training session before the rest of the party arrived at the village. She mentally prepared herself for any wounds she would come away from this session with and she advanced toward Lexa. She saw the smile in her face and that only made her want to try harder. She picked up her speed and went on the attack. She closed the distance between them quickly and started to raise her sword above her head to land the first blow. Her sword came down aiming for Lexa's shoulder and it was easily met by her sword. Clarke followed through with her right fist aiming to land a punch in her gut.</p>
<p>Lexa saw it coming and spun away from her and used her other fist to land a punch in between her shoulder blades. Clarke felt the blow and it made her stumble forward a couple of steps. She turned around and had to quickly parry the sword swing the Lexa was giving her. She went on the defensive now and felt herself being pushed back with every incoming blow and swing. She met eyes with Lexa and saw they were starting to darken and she seemed to be moving faster. Clarke knew she was going to have to kick herself in another gear to keep up.</p>
<p><em>"I can lend you some assistance if you would like?"</em> <em>Wanheda</em> decided now was the perfect time to show up.</p>
<p>"<em>How is she moving like this?"</em> Clarke was trying to split her mind into two it felt like. She was blocking every blow she could but she was starting to tire. Her stamina was still shit compared to Lexa.</p>
<p>"<em>It is part of her being linked with the commander spirit. The spirit attuned her senses for battle and helped her fight. I can do the same for you if you are willing."</em> Clarke pondered this as she felt a punch land in her gut that knocked the wind out of and she went to a knee.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you are distracted. You need to focus." She heard Lexa voice speak to her as she heard her footsteps walking back away from her.</p>
<p><em>"Screw it. What is the worst that could happen?"</em> She was curious about what it meant to get help from this spirit no one knew anything about.</p>
<p><em>"So be it. This will only be a sampling of how my aid can help you in battle. You are not strong enough yet for us to fully be one."</em> She felt her mind and senses being thrown into overdrive.</p>
<p>Slowly she felt a fire spread through her body. Every nerve and muscle in her body seem to come alive with renewed energy. Her eyes adjusted to the light coming through the trees. She could hear every sound that was around her. Her mind felt attuned for more now. She rose from her knee and locked eyes with Lexa and gave her a wicked smile.</p>
<p>Lexa watched as Clarke rose from her kneeling position. She locked eyes with her and saw her eyes were alive with a fire she hadn't seen before. This was a different fire compared to the one she had seen spawn from the rage and anger she held for Abigail. She saw the smirk that splayed across her face as she rolled her shoulders. She knew something had come alive in Clarke and she was excited to see where this went. She connected with the commander's spirit once more and went on the attack once again.</p>
<p>Clarke waited till Lexa was right on her before her body moved. She sidestepped the swing from Lexa and brought her left knee up to connect with Lexa's stomach. She heard the audible groan come from her love.</p>
<p>Lexa was wondering how in the hell she had moved so quickly. She snapped her head back around at Clarke and sent her a wicked look. It was a look that made most men shake in their boots but Clarke just smiled at her. This made her fury kick into overdrive. She was on the attack again and her mind melded with the commanders and she went into full battle mode. She threw swing after swing at Clarke and followed up every miss with a punch. If she missed with her sword she landed a blow with her fist. The only downside to this was Clarke was able to do the same thing. She felt the blows connect every time and each time it made her more angry. Clarke should not be able to keep up with her yet, they had not trained for very long.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Octavia had come back from patrol around the village when she heard two screams that sounded like someone was in pain. She looked at two of the guards and told them to follow her. They took off running toward the sound as quickly as their legs could carry them. She skidded to a halt when she came upon the area it came from. She could not believe what she was seeing. In front of her were Clarke and Lexa going at each other. They were moving faster than she had ever seen anyone move before. Clarke was surrounded in a white glow while Lexa was surrounded in a red glow that hovered just above their skin.</p>
<p>Indra arrived in the area just as Octavia did and was in a stunned silence as well. In front of her were Heda and Skaiheda, fighting each other and no slowing down from the looks of it. She watched as each of them traded blow for blow neither of them tiring. Indra was aware of Lexa's fighting prowess that came with Heda, but what surprised her the most was how Clarke was keeping up with her. She knew Clarke had started to train with Lexa more but she had no idea that Clarke had learned enough to keep up with Heda. She looked over at where Octavia was standing and shot her questioning look and was met by a shrug of her shoulders.</p>
<p>Octavia knew that they would need to keep this new development under wraps as much as possible. She knew the ramifications of anyone finding out about this could cause ripples throughout the coalition and would cause Lexa major problems. She was brought back to the action when she heard a wail come from Clarke. She saw Lexa pause and look at Clarke's arm. There was a gash on her arm where her sword had broken through the leather and cut her. She saw the look of shock on Lexa's face as well as Clarke's.</p>
<p>Lexa was enjoying herself more than she had ever during a training session. Whatever had been unlocked in Clarke had caused her to become a worthy opponent for her. They were trading blows with each other and neither of them seemed to be slowing down. She went for a slash with her sword as Clarke went for a counter punch. She watched as Clarke deflected the blade of her sword with her forearm and she felt the blade cut through the leather. Clarke let out a wail at the sharp pain and stopped what she was doing. Lexa rushed over to her to look at the wound as it was never her attention to injure her love.</p>
<p>"Clarke are you okay?" She grabbed her arm and moved the leather away from the wound to get a better look at it.</p>
<p>"Yeah that just stings like a bitch." Clarke chuckled as she watched her look at her wound.</p>
<p>Lexa moved the leather away and gasped as what she was met with. Black blood was now mixed with her normal red. Her eyes snapped up to Clarke and saw the look of confusion written all over her face. She immediately grabbed her and headed for the hut that had been given to them, while she was trying to cover the wound with her hands.</p>
<p>Lexa spotted Indra and Octavia hot on their trail along with two of her guards. She was glad that no one else had showed up during their training. She walked quickly but not too fast to alert anyone in the village to them. They quickly made their way to the hut and were followed inside by Indra and Octavia. The two guards stood watch on her orders to not allow anyone in. She led Clarke to the table and had her sit down and shed her jacket that she was wearing. She quickly grabbed some of the cloth that had been brought to her tent by one of the healers when they arrived.</p>
<p>Clarke watched as Lexa cleaned the blood away and was amazed as more blackish red blood slowly seeped its way out of her wound. Lexa quickly cleaned the wound and wrapped it in clean cloth. Clarke was stunned because her blood had never been that dark before. She looked around the room and saw it was just Indra and Octavia in there with them. She softly grabbed Lexa's chin and tilted her head upwards so she could look at her. She was met by green eyes that were full of unanswered questions.</p>
<p>"Lexa, what is going on in your head?" she asked softly, searching her eyes for any answer.</p>
<p>"Clarke, has your blood normally been that dark?" Clarke shook her head no in response.</p>
<p>"I thought so. It wasn't like that when I got you on your side but how is it now?" Clarke could tell Lexa was confused just as she was.</p>
<p>"Octavia and Indra could you leave us for a moment?" Clarke asked hoping they would catch that she needed to talk to Lexa alone. Indra looked at Lexa before she moved. Octavia nodded and stepped outside.</p>
<p>"Indra please leave us for a moment." Lexa asked and for the first time it was not coming as an order. Lexa was shaken up by this.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Heda.</em>" Indra said as she turned around and joined Octavia outside.</p>
<p>"Lexa, I think this may have to do with me being connected to <em>Wanheda</em>." Lexa looked up at her again and raised an eyebrow at her.</p>
<p>"While we were training she started talking to me again and offered me assistance so I could keep up with you. I agreed and started to feel a fire spread through my body. Everyone of my senses came alive and the next thing I knew I was matching you." Lexa pondered this as she sat next to Clarke.</p>
<p>"That would explain a lot of things Clarke. What else did she say to you?" Lexa grabbed her hand and leaned her head on her shoulder.</p>
<p>"That I was not strong enough yet to become one with her." Clarke turned her head away from Lexa trying to hide the doubt that had started to creep into her mind.</p>
<p>Lexa felt Clarke turn her head and she immediately turned it back to her. She could see the doubt behind her eyes. Clarke didn't know how strong she already was and it hurt Lexa to see her like this. She pulled her in for a kiss trying to convey how much she believed in her.</p>
<p>"<em>Ai hodnes</em>, you are strong already. You survived landing here on Earth when you were sent to die. You survived an attack from us that should have killed you. You survived being captured by <em>Maunde</em>. You fought my mentor and survived. You are strong because of this." Lexa saw the blush and tears start to form in her blue eyes.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you are strong because you do not give up on anyone. You are strong because you care for everyone even if they do not deserve you care. I have not met anyone that is as strong as you are , <em>Ai hodnes</em>." Lexa pulled her close and kissed her again as if to put a statement on her words.</p>
<p>"We will face whatever <em>Wanheda</em>, meant by her words together but first we need to take down <em>Maunde</em>. Together." She squeezed her hand trying to instill more confidence into her.</p>
<p>"<em>Mochaf Leksa</em>." Clarke kissed her and then rested her head on her shoulder.</p>
<p>"So I am guessing we should keep my changing blood to ourselves?" She asked listening to Lexa's breathing as a way to calm herself.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>, It would cause issues if that were to get out. I know it will be difficult to hide it but we need to do our best." Lexa knew Wanheda had caused this and she just hoped that Clarke wouldn't suffer any setbacks because of this.</p>
<p>She felt Clarke's breathing even out and she looked over and saw her eyes closed. Lexa smiled knowing that she most likely was worn out from the extra adrenaline. She sat there for a while just enjoying the quiet before the storm.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Clarke awoke from her nap and found that her head was on Lexa's lap. She rolled over and looked up and was met by the soft, loving gaze of Lexa. She smiled at her and let out a content sigh.</p>
<p>"Clarke, your mother will be arriving in the next ten minutes. We need to be out there to greet them." Clarke sighed and sat up. She was pleasantly surprised when her muscles didn't feel stiff or sore.</p>
<p>"Do we need to reapply our warpaint?" She asked standing up and locating the supplies that Lexa had put in her bag.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>, we do. I'll do it for you." she motioned for her to sit in the chair.</p>
<p>Clarke did as she was told and just relaxed in the chair mentally preparing herself for the next part of their day. Once their warpaint was done, they put on their gear and made sure everything was in place. Clarke still was getting used to how everything fit together and had to have Lexa help her which earned a chuckle from her.</p>
<p>Indra announced her presence and Lexa called her inside. She looked over Clarke and Lexa at the same time. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have been able to tell Clarke had been injured. Lexa had restitched the cut on her jacket sleeve and you could barely see the new stitching.</p>
<p>"<em>Heda</em>. <em>Skaiheda</em>. Abigail and Nyko just arrived at the outskirts of the village."</p>
<p>"Mochaf Indra, Shall we go meet them." Clarke nodded at her.</p>
<p>Indra bowed at them both and went outside. Clarke looked at Lexa and smiled at her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that the sun was still shining but was starting to set for the day. Clarke knew the battle was fast approaching and drawing near. Everything they had talked about came flooding back to the front of her mind. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She opened her eyes and put on the stoic <em>Skaiheda</em> face that she tried to adopt from Lexa.</p>
<p>She met the gaze of Heda and nodded at her letting her know she was ready.</p>
<p>"After you <em>Skaiheda</em>." Lexa motioned toward the door with her arm.</p>
<p>Clarke smiled at her and gave her a squeeze on her arm. She knew this was going to be difficult introducing her mother to the leader of the village. She just hoped that her mother would not say anything to make her look like she had lied about how helpful Skaikru would be. They left the hut leaving any doubt behind them for the moment and went to greet Abby and Nyko.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 3: The Battle for Mount Weather Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Philpott Dam</strong>
</p>
<p>Finding the underground entrance was the easy part. The <em>Trikru</em> that were with them had led them right to it. The entrance was covered in a thick layer of moss and the only way you could tell there was an entrance there, was by the metal handle sticking through the moss. Two of the <em>Trikru</em> threw open the metal door and went into the dark hallway making sure there were no immediate threats. It took the two warriors five minutes to clear the hallway. They came back and nodded to Raven that it was clear.</p>
<p>She nodded at the other Ark engineers and followed the <em>Trikru</em> in the door. The only light they had to see, was the flicking light from the torches the <em>Trikru</em> carried. They walked for five minutes before they came to another door. This door was not as affected by the weather which didn't surprise Raven. Her nerves made her on high alert and aware of every little creek or noise. The <em>Trikru</em> at the front of the group held up a fist in a sign to stop. They slowly opened the door and looked inside for any sign of danger. They waved for them to follow as they stepped through the door.</p>
<p>Raven turned on her flashlight that she had brought with them and shined it around the open room. She looked around and saw that they were in the parking garage. Together they slowly made their way through the garage trying to find the next door that would lead them to the dam. It was creepy and quiet to Raven. She had never dreamed that she would be here at this moment. Her whole life all she had known was fixing whatever she could on the ark. Her life on the ark was nothing special and when Abby had come to her with a plan to send her to the ground she jumped on it.</p>
<p>As they walked they passed many cars that were covered in layers of dust. She looked at one of the license plates on one car and realized that these were cars that had stood the test of time and survived the bombings that cause everyone at the time flee to space. A chill crept down her spine at the thought of the people that these belonged to and she wondered if any of them had been able to survive. She knew that if they did they most likely now had descendants who lived in the mountain and were now their enemies. She shook her head at how quickly things had progressed on the ground.</p>
<p>Everyone was on high alert as they made their way through the parking complex. The other engineers stayed close to Raven with Wick walking right next to her. Everyone jumped when they heard something bump into one of the cars. Immediately the <em>Trikru</em> warriors closed formation around the <em>Skaikru</em> members in a protective circle. They stilled waiting to see what would come out of the shadows.</p>
<p>They slowly moved on keeping the circle together just as a precaution. They knew that there were still reapers that roamed the surrounding area. It had been a while since they had seen one but they didn't want to take any chances. Everyone watched every corner and every area that something could jump out at them.</p>
<p>Raven kept hoping that they were getting close to the next door. She was used to being indoors and cramped. The car garage was open space but there was something about only being able to see so far that made her on edge.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It took ten minutes for them to find the door that led to the dam. Every door looked the exact same and had been surprisingly well kept which did not make anyone of them feel better. They opened the door and they were met by yet another long dark hallway that went downward. Well at least that is something different Raven thought as she followed the Trikru inside.</p>
<p>The further they went down the hallway the louder it got. Raven was glad to hear the growing hum of the generator as it meant they were getting closer to their goal. She tapped wick twice on his left shoulder to get his attention.</p>
<p>"What is it Raven" he turned his head slightly to look at her.</p>
<p>"You have the explosives right?" She chuckled at the dumb founded look he shot at her.</p>
<p>"Yes" he tapped the bag that was slung over his shoulder.</p>
<p>"Good. We have to make sure they all go off at the same time." She was going back over this for what seemed like the twentieth time because she was trying to calm her own nerves.</p>
<p>"Yeah yeah I know." He shot her a smirk that just irritated her. She had been grateful for his help during all of this but he was also a giant pain in her ass most of the time.</p>
<p>She saw one of the <em>Trikru</em> warriors hold up his hand again when they came to a split path. Each of the hallways were just as dark as the previous ones. To the left they could hear some kind of sound but it did not sound like generators. To the right was a sound that sounded more like the loud hum of the generators. The <em>Trikru</em> looked back at Raven who had a sketch of these hallways.</p>
<p>Just before she had left Clarke had handed her a rolled up paper. She was told that where they were going had been mapped out as best as they could with the limited light they had. She pulled out the map and still was in shock at the detail that had been put into it. She found the parking garage and the door that they had gone through. She found the split path and confirmed that the left hallway was the correct way. She pointed to the left and <em>Trikru</em> nodded and headed that way.</p>
<p>She felt a quick moment of relief as the hum of the generators turned into a roar. The reality of their mission seemed to hit everyone at the same time. She looked back at the other two engineers and through the flickering light she saw the fear written all over their face. She looked at one of them and was surprised to see the fear on his face.</p>
<p>Sinclair had always been a mentor towards her when they were on the ark. He had looked at any issues he had to solve like it was just another day. She had seen him literally jump around on the outside of the ark when he would check to make sure everything was still intact. He had shown no fear when he was out in space being tethered to the ship. Seeing him now showed that even the most daring of them all could shake in their boots.</p>
<p>She nodded at him when he locked eyes with her. She had told them their duties when they found the generators. Raven and Wick would take three of the generators while the other two would be taken out by the other two engineers while the <em>Trikru</em> covered any entrance they could figured this would be the quickest and cleanest way for them to take out the generators and not be discovered. The main goal of her plan was to plant the charges and denote them when they got back to the door. She had wired them with a short wave frequency that would link to a modified radio that acted as the trigger.</p>
<p>She turned around and nodded at the <em>Trikru</em> warrior that had been at the front of their group the whole time. He nodded back and pushed on the door. It opened and they stepped through into an open area sound of the generators was almost deafening now. Raven let out a sigh of relief when she saw that all of the generators were lined up in a row. That would speed up the process of rigging them to blow.</p>
<p>"You all know your job. Stay low and stay out of sight as much as you can. We know they have a patrol, we just don't know how big it could be." She kept her voice calm and even like she had seen both the Commander and Clarke do.</p>
<p>"We are on a clock and our people outside the mountain are counting on us. Now go." With her word the <em>Trikru</em> took off covering the area looking for any danger.</p>
<p>Raven and Wick took off for the farthest generator and would work their way back toward the door. Her mental clock had been sent into overdrive. She knew that by now Clarke and Lexa would be slowly leading the army toward the front door. She knew they needed to get all generators knocked out so Bellamy could knock out the fog quickly. The plan revolved around causing as much chaos on the inside as possible.</p>
<p>The bombs they had made would attach to the fuel lines. She hit the furthest back generator quickly. She found the fuel line and started quickly pulling out the supplies she needed to secure the bomb. It was a version of a pipe bomb but about twice the size. Wick and her had spent weeks on refining the design so it would be able to take out the generator. She had to be careful as she attached the device. One wrong wire touching the wrong part and she would be meat soup.</p>
<p>Her hands moved delicately but quickly. She looked up and saw Wick attaching his device right in front of her. It took her about five minutes to feel safe that the device would stay attached. She set the radio trigger that was on the top of the bomb to the right frequency and moved next to Wick. She crouched beside him and saw that he was getting frustrated. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised and he just chuckled. She smiled at him and watched as he quickly finished attaching the device and setting the frequency. He nodded at her and they moved to the next one.</p>
<p>"Wick go make sure the others are doing okay." He smiled and nodded at her and took off to check on the other two engineers.</p>
<p>She quickly started working on the third device. She was falling into a rhythm as she worked. She saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye followed by a flash of steel. She turned her head and looked and saw a <em>Trikru</em> pull his sword from one of the mountain men. Shit she thought. She turned back and quickly finished attaching the third device. She set the frequency and gathered her things.</p>
<p>"305 check in." She stood still as she heard someone speak.</p>
<p>She turned her head to the noise and saw a radio sitting and outcropping. She turned and looked at Wick.</p>
<p>"Wick, how are the others going." She tried to keep her voice calm but she was starting to panic.</p>
<p>"On the last one now why?" he said back, noticing the unevenness to her tone.</p>
<p>She walked up to him with the radio just as it repeated its earlier message. His eyes went wide as he shoved the other engineer out of the way. She turned and let out a whistle. The four <em>Trikru</em> came running over to her.</p>
<p>"Sending back up to your location." The voice on the radio said.</p>
<p>"Fuck. We need to go now." Everyone nodded at her and practically ran toward the door.</p>
<p>They made it to the door and she stopped with the trigger in her hand. She started to tune it to the correct frequency when they all heard the beating of footsteps. Her hands started to shake as she turned the dial. She watched as the Trikru formed a wall in front of them ready to die to make sure they succeeded. She nodded at the engineers and motioned for them to head through the door. She told everyone else to cover their ears. They nodded and she pressed the button.</p>
<p>Nothing happened. She waited a few seconds and tried again. Nothing again. Shit she thought, they were out of range.</p>
<p>Wick knew what was wrong immediately. He looked up and saw mountain men starting to enter the room at the other end of the hall. He had made up his mind the moment they left camp. He knew that he would not be leaving the mountain. Raven needed to live.</p>
<p>"Raven give me the remote." He held out his hand in front of her. Her head snapped up at his words.</p>
<p>"What are you doing Wick?" Was he really about to try and sacrifice himself?</p>
<p>"You need to get out of here. Give me the remote and I'll get close enough to set the charges off. We don't have time to argue Raven." The footsteps were getting louder as he waited for her to hand over the remote.</p>
<p>"Wick, I won't let you do this. We both get out or I stay." He could see the tears start to form in her eyes. He knew that this was the only way.</p>
<p>"Raven, I have to do this. You need to get out of here now and live."</p>
<p>Raven could not believe him right now. She knew he was right but she was torn about letting him do it. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. She pulled back and handed him the remote.</p>
<p>"Wick, don't you fucking die on me." He shot her his signature smirk and winked at her.</p>
<p>"May we meet again Raven." He took off running toward cover that was closer to the generators.</p>
<p>Raven signaled to the Trikru to leave. They looked between where Wick was crouched and her and nodded at her. She saw the look of recognition on all of their faces and she hated it. She turned toward the door and started walking to it hoping Wick knew what he was doing.</p>
<hr/>
<p>He watched as she disappeared through the door. One of the grounders turned and locked eyes with him. He saw the faintest nod come from him whether that was to be taken as a good thing or not he did not know. As the last grounder disappeared, he turned his attention back to the footsteps. He peaked over his hiding spot and saw that there were ten guards approaching and searching the area. He hoped he was close enough to trigger the explosion and not die.</p>
<p>He waited till the guards got close to the generators and started to look between them. Now or never her thought. He sank down behind the concrete wall he was hiding behind. The trigger seemed to feel heavier now. He flipped the covering on the trigger and rested his thumb on the switch. He took a breath and looked up towards the ceiling.</p>
<p>"Raven please forgive me." he pressed the button and heard the first charge go off.</p>
<p>She was running as fast as she was able too with her tears still falling down her face. She stumbled as she turned a corner and before she fell one of the <em>Trikru</em> grabbed her and picked her up. She heard the explosion before she felt the vibrations through the tunnel. By the sound of the explosion she knew Mount Weather knew for sure they were inside now. Her heart broke at the thought of Wick not being alive. They busted through the door that led to the garage and she told <em>Trikru</em> to stop. He set her down and she grabbed the radio and she changed to the correct frequency.</p>
<p>"Bell your turn." she said through the radio hoping he was still able to carry out his part of the plan.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Bellamy POV</strong>
</p>
<p>He had been waiting by the controls for the fog for what seemed like forever. Maya had shown him a quick way in and out of this area a couple of days ago. He had decided it would be best to wait by the controls instead of heading for them when Raven told him too. Thankfully Raven and Wick had given him the instructions he needed to shut it down. He kept checking his watch as the time ticked by. He had only been in the mountain for three weeks now and was ready for this war to be done with.</p>
<p>The waiting for an explosion was making him slightly insane. He knew the plan revolved around Raven but that only made him more nervous. He knew she was good at blowing things up; he just hoped she was able to rig the charges right to cause maximum damage.</p>
<p>As he sat there his mind kept wandering to the people that had helped in his quest to take down the mountain from the inside. He realized that there were actual good people in here that did not agree with what was happening here. He met Echo and even though she was reluctant at first, she agreed to help get everyone out. He was able to make sure that she was safe and wouldn't be harvested thanks to an assist from Maya. He didn't know much about her but that made him want to try and figure her out. There was just something about her that stuck out enough to him to make him forget about Clarke.</p>
<p>He cursed himself as her name registered in his mind again. He felt torn on the inside and he hated it. On one hand he wanted to do everything in his power to be with Clarke but on the other he couldn't get past some of the decisions she had made. He was no saint when it came to his choices. He regretted trying to hang Murphy when it was thought he had killed Wells and the subsequent death of the youngest person sent to the ground.</p>
<p>A lot of stuff had happened since they were on the ground and he felt that Clarke somehow was the best choice to lead them. He wanted to be the leader so bad that he questioned her at every turn but she had got them this was pulled from his thought when the radio he had taken from a guard came alive.</p>
<p>"Need backup at the generators. 305 has gone dark." This was not good. Raven and Wick and been discovered.</p>
<p>He knew he couldn't leave to assist them. He didn't know how many Clarke had sent to take out the generators and he hoped she had sent some extra hands to assist them. He waited for what seemed like forever when the lights started to flicker then go dark. He jumped up off the stool he had been sitting on and started to access the system.</p>
<p>His other radio came alive and he heard Raven's voice. He could tell something had happened but he couldn't focus on that right now. It was hard to see with just his flashlight but he had to work fast. He was working through the menus when the console shut off.</p>
<p>"Fuck no no no." he smacked the thing trying to get it to turn back on.</p>
<p>He had to improvise now. He looked around and found a blow torch. He ran to the oxygen tank just to the side of the console. He heard the door to the fog room slam open. Shit they knew he was there. His comms had been compromised again. He attached the blowtorch to the poles behind it and made sure it stayed running. He waited till the guards got close and he bolted to the vent he came through. Shots rang around his head and he heard the head guards yell at the others to watch their fire. He jumped into the vent and heard the engine of the fog come alive. Well good to know that those run on the back up he thought.</p>
<p>He turned around and aimed both of his guns at the entrance to the vent. He saw two faces appear at the opening and he opened fire. The heads snapped back as the bullets pinged off the metal of the container. He knew he was low on ammo but he had to by time for the oxygen tank to heat up. He knew Clarke and the army would be approaching the kill zone anytime now. He continued to go through his remaining ammo till he heard the click of an empty magazine.</p>
<p>Shit. He dropped his guns and started to crawl as fast as possible to escape the guards. He knew if he got to the bigger opening at the end of the vent he knew he stood a chance. Just as he was closing in on the opening he heard the explosion and was suddenly being thrown through the opening and landed hard on his side as fire flew past him. He laid there trying to cover his face from the intense heat and he groaned when he tried to lay flat. He knew from the impact he had bruised a few ribs.</p>
<p>Once the heat died down he laid there and had a smile on his face. It worked. The fog was down and Mount Weather was defenseless. All they had left was the doors and everyone would be forced to relocate to one level. He pulled himself up and started to make his way to meet up with the remaining hundred that had survived the battle with the guards.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Security room, Mount Weather</strong>
</p>
<p>Cage had been on high alert for the last three weeks. No matter how hard he had tried he was not able to locate the intruder. Every time he got close he would disappear. Emerson had scoured the whole complex and turned up nothing. Less than a week ago there had been a rebellion from the ones they had captured to use for their bone marrow. He had been able to take a couple of them captive and used them to treat himself and Emerson.</p>
<p>Once the rebellion had happened he moved his father to a secluded room to try and keep him safe till he could take the treatment as well. He knew that some of his people were helping the outsiders; he just had not been able to prove it yet. He was watching the radar for the kill box of the fog when the blips started showing up on the map. He smiled to himself at the sight. He would be able to unleash the fog and finally wipe out the grounders and their leader once and for all.</p>
<p>"Sir we have lost contact with our patrol at the dam." One of the guards in the room with him said.</p>
<p>"Have you sent another team to investigate?" His mind was racing now. How did they get inside without being detected?</p>
<p>"They are on their way now." He started to pace as he awaited to hear the update.</p>
<p>"Emerson, how close are they to the kill box?" He turned his gaze back to the radar in front of him.</p>
<p>"About 5 miles out. Our scouts have confirmed that it is an army being led by the commander and Clarke." He smiled once again glad to have that intel.</p>
<p>"Bravo team approaching the dam now." The radio came alive. He picked up the radio and pushed the button.</p>
<p>"Copy Bravo team. Neutralize whoever is there and report back. We can not allow the generators to fail." he released the button and waited with a breath caught in his throat.</p>
<p>No one had dared to infiltrate the mountain till the people fell from the sky. He had eyes on them since they landed and at first they were no threat because it was just children. As time went on he watched and these children started to explore and wound up in a fight for survival with the locals. His team watched as Clarke burnt the attacking army alive and he was impressed. He told the scouting team to capture them and bring them to the mountain. Once they had started to awake he introduced himself to Clarke and let her know they were safe.</p>
<p>He underestimated her though. She had proved to be a problem and managed to escape with a grounder. When they jumped off the dam, he thought he would never see them again. Much to his surprise he watched and read reports that she now had made an alliance with the locals. What surprised him the most was how close the two leaders seemed to be getting. He launched that missile to try and dissuade them from working together. That ultimately backfired because it just made them closer.</p>
<p>He was running out of reapers to use against them as well. The healers from both camps had come together to turn them back to normal. It seemed like that everything he threw at them only blew up in their face. He could feel the walls closing in and knew it was only a matter of time before they got too bold and he would be able to take them out.</p>
<p>He was pulled back to reality when the lights flickered then went out. He waited for thirty seconds to see if it was just a shortage. He knew the generators were getting old and starting to short circuit. They had to make a special team to maintain them about five years ago. When the lights didn't come back on immediately he feared the worst. Two minutes went by and the back up generator kicked in. He let out a breath. The backup generators had been set up to run level 5 and keep the acid fog in play. It was their last ditch effort in case the big generators went out. He grabbed the radio and pushed the button once more.</p>
<p>"Bravo team status report." He waited a few seconds then repeated his question.</p>
<p>"The generators are gone sir. They are beyond repair. We managed to capture the one who did it. It is just me and one other left. Everyone else was killed in the blast." He slammed his fist into the table, shattering a portion of the glass on it.</p>
<p>"Bring him to the harvesting chamber where the rest of them are and chain them up." he looked at the radar once more and saw the blips were getting closer.</p>
<p>"Understood sir. Heading there now." The radio turned off just as the other one turned on.</p>
<p>"Bell your turn." Came across the radio they had tuned to the frequency the outsiders were using.</p>
<p>"Emerson, send another team to the fog controls NOW." That had to be their next target.</p>
<p>He moved to a station in the room that was being used to watch for any unauthorized access to the controls. He watched as someone was starting to go through the menu looking for a way to turn it off. He looked at the guard who was monitoring it as well.</p>
<p>"Turn off the station. Reroute the control to this room." The man nodded and quickly went to work. When it was done the man turned and nodded at him.</p>
<p>He moved back to the radar table and noticed they started to enter the kill box. He knew this was his last chance.</p>
<p>"Emerson, start preparing the fog and wait till they are all in the kill box." He nodded and started turning the machine on and started his countdown.</p>
<p>"Ten"</p>
<p>"Nine"</p>
<p>"Eight"</p>
<p>"Seven"</p>
<p>"Six"</p>
<p>"Five" half of the approaching army was inside now.</p>
<p>"Four"</p>
<p>"Three"</p>
<p>"Two"</p>
<p>"One"</p>
<p>He hit the button to release the fog and nothing happened. The radar showed that the fog failed to release. He looked closer and saw the approaching dots kept coming. His final defense had failed.</p>
<p>"What else do we have? Can we release the reapers?" he looked at Emerson.</p>
<p>"The reapers won't stand a chance against this army and we only have a handful left. All we have left Sir, is the doors." He slammed his fist again into the table in front of him once more and this time it shattered.</p>
<p>"Move everyone to Level 5 the generators will keep them alive. Emerson, come with me we need to speed up the harvesting process."</p>
<p>Cage stormed out of the door of the security room and didn't wait for anyone to follow. Clarke's people would pay for this. It took him mere minutes to reach his destination. He threw open the door and looked at the ones that were already chained to the wall. Before all this had happened his team had captured five more of the outsiders. He motioned for the hoods to be removed and he looked at all of the new faces. The last one to be revealed was Clarke's mother. She had been captured wandering in the woods outside of a village. The man next to her was Kane he thought his name was. He had been taken from their main camp while he was on patrol. The other three had been the guards assigned to each of them. He walked in front of Clarke's mother and squatted down.</p>
<p>"Your daughter had been a thorn in my side. How do you think she will react one she finds out I have you?" He saw the look of shock cross her face no matter how much she tried to hide it.</p>
<p>"If you really knew my daughter, then you would already have your answer." She spat the man. All she had done was try to follow when she was grabbed.</p>
<p>"We shall see then." He smiled at her then looked at one of the other guards.</p>
<p>"Chain them up as well. We have plenty of their kind here now to make sure we all live." The guards nodded at him and they moved to chain the rest of them up.</p>
<p>"Doctor, we need to speed this up. Do not worry about sparing their lives. We are at war it would seem." he watched as the faces of the outsiders dropped. He had them all where he wanted them.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Outside Mount Weather</strong>
</p>
<p>Clarke and Lexa left the village just as the sun was starting its descent for the night. They had made it very clear to Abigail that she was to work with the healers and not cause any issues. Clarke had to suppress a laugh at her mother's expression when she was threatened by Lexa. She had decided to leave two <em>Skaikru</em> guards with her because she wouldn't put it past Mount Weather to try something.</p>
<p>They led in silence for the majority of the walk to the main door of the mountain. Every now and then one of them would steal a glance at the other to gauge how they were doing. Lexa was better at hiding her nerves than she was and somehow it made her want to do better. Her mind was still reeling from her changing blood and just the taste of letting <em>Wanheda</em> work with her. The ensuing rush that came from her had made her for once feel alive.</p>
<p>She saw out of the corner of her eye Lexa's head turn slightly and look at her. She let a small smirk show quickly before schooling her face again. She was happy with how this alliance had been going so far, she just hoped that whatever happened to night would not shatter it to pieces. There were still so many variables for Clarke to feel comfortable just yet. She looked around at the trees and started to see warning markings for the looked over at Lexa and saw the realization on her face as well.</p>
<p>Clarke was starting to get nervous. Raven had not checked in yet from the dam. She knew that if one part of the plan failed then they were all dead before the actual battle began. She instinctively moved slightly closer to Lexa. If she noticed the change she didn't mention it. She felt a presence behind her and turned her head slightly and saw Octavia behind her.</p>
<p>"<em>Skaiheda</em>, any word from Raven?" As if on cue she heard the radio crackle to live. She stopped and listened hoping it was Raven.</p>
<p>"<em>SkaiPrisa</em>, dam is down. Wick is MIA. Heading back to Camp." Clarke let out a small breath the dam was down but Wick was missing.</p>
<p>"Raven, what happened to Wick." She asked hoping her suspicions were not correct.</p>
<p>"We had company and he stayed behind to ensure the charges went off. I don't know if he is alive." She heard the break in her voice and her heart sank. She really hadn't talked with him a lot but she knew he wouldn't have done this if he didn't care for Raven.</p>
<p>"We will find him Raven. Head back to Camp and rest."</p>
<p>"Can do." Is all Raven said before the radio went dead.</p>
<p>She looked over at Lexa and saw an eyebrow raised questioning her. She tried to school her face but the revelation the Wick may be dead started to weigh heavy on her. She did as best as she could and approached the front of the army. She turned around and looked at them then raised an eyebrow at Lexa. She nodded at her to begin.</p>
<p>"<em>Trikru Reivon has don frag op dam. Osir laik closer kom slaying the maun. Nau em ste Belomi's turn."(Tree people Raven has killed the dam. We are closer to slaying the Mountain. Now it is Bellamy's turn.)</em> She saw the look of shock first then they all let out a war chant.</p>
<p><em>"Skaiheda has brought yumi Disha far. Nau Oso march ga dou."(Sky leader had brought us this far. Now we march for the door.)"</em> A thunderous chant of <em>Heda</em> and <em>Skaiheda</em> broke out among the combined peoples. Lexa turned back around and started marching for the door but not before giving Clarke a smirk.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It took them five minutes before they saw the danger signs warning them to turn away from the mountain. The more they approached the more she knew they were being watched by the mountain. She lent a side glance at Lexa and was met by a nod. They continued marching toward the door. Everything seemed to move slowly for her and waiting for a call from Bellamy was the infuriating part. She kept walking, pushing herself forward no matter the uncertainty she was beginning to feel.</p>
<p>"<em>You are doing great so far Clarke. Your plan is working and you have Lexa's people believing in you. I must say you are quickly impressing me."</em> She tensed once more but quickly hid it. She saw a raise of an eyebrow from Lexa but just shook her head.</p>
<p>"<em>What do you want now? If you haven't already figured it out I am kind of in the middle of something."</em> Clarke tried to keep her tone calm. She liked the rush that she had felt earlier but she was not quick to forget what she had been told.</p>
<p>"<em>I know that Clarke. I am here to let you know if you need me all you have to do is focus on my name and I will come."</em> With that <em>Wanheda</em> went silent once more. What the hell did she mean by that?</p>
<p>She felt her radio crackle to life. She pulled it from her hip and listened once more.</p>
<p>"<em>SkaiPrisa</em>, Fog is down I repeat fog is down." Bellamy's voice came across the radio and she let out a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>"Good to hear your voice Bell. You know what to do next." She released the button now having more confidence behind her walk.</p>
<p>"Understood, See you soon." The radio went silent again. She looked over at Lexa and nodded. Lexa smiled and let out the start of a war chant. It spread like wildfire throughout the army.</p>
<p>Clarke smiled inward as her plan was working. Now came the hardest part. Getting inside the mountain. This would be a long night she thought as they kept walking.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After thirty more minutes of walking the door to Mount Weather came into view. The sun had just set and they had to move quickly. She ordered her people to rush the door to start drilling a hole for the explosive to blow the lock. Lexa sent scouts to surround the area and look for any danger. Octavia and Indra left with their party to secure the reaper tunnels. A barricade was being built at the edge of the woods to try and provide some protection from any surprise attack.</p>
<p>She stayed near the front of the barricade so she could make sure her people made it to the door.</p>
<p>They hit the door at once and started the drilling process that would take several minutes to go through the thick steel. She could feel the alertness radiating off of Lexa. She was always so aware of everything it impressed Clarke. Her eyes naturally were gravitating to the ridge above the door. That ridge could cause a problem if the mountain men were able to come outside and fire on them.</p>
<p>"<em>Heda</em> we will have to watch the ridge above the door." She saw that she had snapped her out of daze.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Skaiheda</em>, The scouts I sent out are combing the surrounding area looking for any advantage we could have. Are your people ready with the weapon?" The edge to her voice when she mentioned the gas grenades was evident. Clarke hated that they had found them but she had convinced Lexa that there were only five of them.</p>
<p>"Sha. Once we get the door open two of my people will throw them inside and anyone that is there will be knocked out." Lexa nodded and turned back toward the door.</p>
<p>"<em>Lexa, I know you can hear me."</em> Becca had been trying to get her attention all day.</p>
<p><em>"I can yes but that does not mean I wish to talk to you right now."</em> Her nerves were shot and the constant interruptions were not helping. She had a lot on her mind and she did not want to talk to anyone if she could avoid it.</p>
<p><em>"I have not seen you like this in a long time. What is troubling you?"</em> She sighed and continued to look forward, trying to still seem somewhat normal.</p>
<p><em>"All of this had been too easy. I fear that something is going to go wrong. You of all people know that when I have that feeling it normally is true."</em> Her eyes were watching <em>Skaikru</em> quickly drill through the door and she watched as they pulled the device out of the bag.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Leska, you are wise to expect something to go wrong. That has always been your greatest strength when it comes to war. You expect the unexpected. Clarke is the same way and that is why she mentioned what Maunde may do."</em> She tensed quickly as her mind flashed back to that conversation. She hated that she may have to make that call. It was the right call but it could potentially break the alliance between her and Skaikru.</p>
<p><em>"Well let us hope that it does not come to pass. Now leave please, the Skaikru are almost done."</em> Becca just nodded and disappeared.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She watched as the Skaikru, placed the charge in the door and made sure it was secure. They quickly came back behind the barricade and nodded at Clarke. She grabbed the remote trigger and took a breath. Lexa stopped her before she hit the button. She put her hand over Clarke's.</p>
<p>"We do this together, <em>Skaiheda</em>." Clarke nodded and together they pressed the button.</p>
<p>They waited for something to happen and when nothing did they pressed the button again. Still nothing happened.</p>
<p>"They are blocking our signal. We have to get closer." She started to move toward the door when a hail of bullets rained down on them. She felt herself being pulled back forcefully by Lexa.</p>
<p>They crouched behind the barricade and she quickly tried to think of a way to get to the door. She looked around and saw the big metal shields some of the <em>Trikru</em> were carrying. That could work, she thought.</p>
<p>"MILLER." She called out trying to make her voice heard of the came up to her and squatted beside her.</p>
<p>"I need you to get some of the <em>Trikru</em> and use the shields as cover." He nodded and Lexa motioned for six of her warriors over. They quickly put Miller in the middle and used the shields to cover their approach.</p>
<p>Clarke held her breath as she watched them approach the door. Instantly they were met by another round of gunfire. The pinging sound of the bullets going through the metal made her sick. Still the warriors pressed on knowing they had to carry out their mission. The left shield fell first then the right. One by one the warriors fell to the ground riddled with bullets. The top shield was the last one standing as they were halfway to the door. The Trikru warrior was slowing down and finally collapsed, taking the shield with him and trapping Miller underneath it.</p>
<p>"<em>Heda</em>, I need your best archer please." She was trying to keep her voice level. Her nerve was starting to fall because she had just watched six people get gunned down on her command.</p>
<p>"Gustus." Lexa shouted and he came running up beside her.</p>
<p>"Gustus, is the best archer my people have." She nodded and looked at the big man.</p>
<p>"I need you to shoot an arrow at the bomb in the door. If you light it on fire it will set off the charge." He nodded as she looked at Lexa.</p>
<p>"Clarke, we have to take out the ridge. I will go with my warriors and secure it." Clarke knew that she was right. Before she left she grabbed her arm which caused her to look back at her.</p>
<p>"I need your spirit to stay where it is Lexa." She said controlling her emotions. Lexa just nodded at her and took off.</p>
<p>She turned and looked at Gustus who had an eyebrow raised at her. He clearly had heard what she had said. His eyes held an unspoken question and she just nodded at him not having the time for his doubt. He grabbed an arrow and wrapped some cloth around the tip and held it up to a torch. He drew back the bowstring and aimed at the door. He controlled his breathing and let the arrow fly.</p>
<p>Clarke watched as the arrow flew and struck home. The charge went off and she let out a sigh of relief. Now it came down to Lexa to stop the gunfire before they could move to open the door.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lexa's POV</strong>
</p>
<p>She ran low as she made her way with warriors to flank the shooters. They made their way through the woods and found a path that led up the ridge. Quickly they climbed drawing their weapons as they went. She crested the hill and saw a wall of Mountain men firing at her army. She told her warriors to spread out and move on her command. They approached and she heard an explosion go off. Clarke had done it. She smiled as she signaled her warriors to attack.</p>
<p>She charged with her swords and quickly cut down the first man she came across. Blood covered her face as she moved from man to man cutting them down. She had caught them by surprise. Once they realized they were being attacked they turned their fire on her warriors. She connected with the commander spirit and moved faster. There was no wasted movement as she cut the legs out from each man. She would slice their calf or thigh with one sword then stab with the other. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her warriors start to fall. She was running out of time.</p>
<p>Blood was covering her as she moved to the last mountain man. She stopped when she saw the man drop his gun and hold his hands up. She smiled at the man, he clearly knew what was coming. She was surrounded by what was left of her warriors as she looked at the man standing in front of her.</p>
<p>"Commander Lexa, how nice it is to finally meet you." The smirk on his face just made her rage intensify.</p>
<p>"Choose your next words carefully." She snarled at the man showing too many teeth.</p>
<p>"I have an offer for you from our leader." She struggled to keep her emotions in check. She gripped the hilt of her swords tighter.</p>
<p>"Why would I listen to your offer? What could you possibly offer me when you are on the brink of defeat." She was met by another one of this man's grins.</p>
<p>"Behind that door are more of our guards all armed and pointing their weapons at the entrance. If you were to get the door open you would be able to get inside but at a cost. Would you succeed in getting in? Most likely but you would also suffer a great loss." She contemplated whether he was bluffing or not.</p>
<p>"Our offer is for you to pull your army back and we will let your people go. We will not attack your people again. We have suffered major setbacks because of this war. We have children inside that will not survive because of our generators being knocked out. Our back ups will only last for a couple months. Then we would all be gone. This is your best option." She started to pace as she took in this information.</p>
<p>She didn't know how much truth there was to what he was telling her. According to Clarke and Bellamy the backup generators only had enough power to sustain one level of the complex. She had no idea how many of the mountain men were left but they still could cause her problems if she took this deal. She stopped and looked at the man.</p>
<p>"What happens to Clarke and her people?" He smiled again at her. She really wanted to slit his throat.</p>
<p>"They are not a part of this deal. This is for you and your people only." She kept her breathing in check. She knew she had to think with her head on this one instead of her heart.</p>
<p>Clarke and her had planned for this option but it still was weighing heavily on her. She knew that if she took this deal then Skaikru would hate her. They would feel betrayed and she wouldn't blame them.</p>
<p>"You have your deal on one condition." She locked her gaze with the man.</p>
<p>"What is it?" He asked calmly.</p>
<p>"Clarke is not to be harmed. She is to be left out of any of your dealings. If I find out she had been harmed then this deal is off and I will personally come back and finish the job." She was face to face with the man now.</p>
<p>"You have your deal Commander." he extended his hand to her and she just looked at it. He must have got the sense she wasn't going to shake it.</p>
<p>"Shall we?" he motioned for them to start walking as he radio for her people to be released.</p>
<p>Clarke please forgive me, she thought to herself as she made her way back down to her army to call the retreat.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Clarke's POV</strong>
</p>
<p>The gunfire had stopped and she smiled. Lexa had done it. She looked at Gustus and nodded at him. He grabbed several Trikru and made their way to the door with hooks to attach to the door. She saw the metal shield move and she sent one of her people to check on Miller. He was able to walk and surprisingly only had cuts on his body which was more than could be said for the six dead Trikru.</p>
<p>"Pull." The warriors began to shout as they worked to pull the door open. She watched as slowly the door started to move.</p>
<p>"Enough" She heard off to her left. She turned and saw Lexa coming back down the hill.</p>
<p>She was covered in blood and her commander's face was firm in place. She looked behind her and saw Emerson smiling at her. Lexa stopped in front of her and the door opened letting her people come funneling out the door. She looked up and was met by green eyes that were clouded with emotion.</p>
<p>"Lexa, what happened?" She had an idea but she was hoping and praying that it hadn't come to that.</p>
<p>"A deal was offered and I took it. We are leaving Clarke. I am sorry but I had to make this decision with my head not my heart." Clarke could hear the slight break in her voice. Lexa stepped closer to her and leaned her head next to hers.</p>
<p>"I may have made this deal but I do not trust them. I have to leave to make sure the deal stands. I believe in you Clarke. Take down the mountain. If anyone can it is you, <em>Ai hodnes</em>." Clarke could feel her heart shatter as Lexa sounded the horn for retreat.</p>
<p>"May we meet again <em>Skaiheda</em>." Before she could stop her, Lexa turned and walked back to her camp.</p>
<p>Clarke watched her go not wanting to believe what just happened. The one person she loved and trusted had just left her there. She knew why she had done it but that didn't take away the sting she felt.</p>
<p><em>"She made the choice with her head Clarke. I know that doesn't help but it is your turn now. You have to do what needs to be done. Lexa is right not to trust them."</em> Clarke heard <em>Wanheda</em> speak to her once more. She didn't even flinch this time.</p>
<p><em>"I know that. We even talked about this being a possibility but why does it still sting."</em> She willed her legs to move to the Reaper tunnels knowing that would be her best option to get inside.</p>
<p><em>"It stings because your heart feels betrayed even though your head knows it was the right choice. You can't tell me you wouldn't have made the same call."</em> <em>Wanheda</em> was right and she had to admit she may have to make that same call if she is able to get inside.</p>
<p><em>"You are right but I can't dwell on that right now. Leave me for now." Wanheda</em> nodded and left her to her own thoughts.</p>
<p>Bellamy should be able to get them in. He was supposed to head that way with both peoples before this deal had been made. She continued to push her legs toward the tunnel no matter how much she just wanted to turn and go be with Lexa. She had to rescue her people no matter the cost.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Reaper tunnels</strong>
</p>
<p>Octavia had heard the horn sound and knew that the army was retreating. She talked with Indra and she was told that her position as Clarke's general didn't hold her to the same standards as a normal second. Indra told her that if she stayed she would have to prove that she still wanted to train as <em>Trikru</em>. She locked arms with Indra and promised her that she did. She would do whatever it took to prove herself to Indra.</p>
<p>Lincoln and her were now alone in the tunnels trying to decide what to do next when they heard footsteps echoing off the walls. They both drew their weapons and crouched behind a mine cart as a body fell into it. They waited and the footsteps grew louder and louder. Someone was running toward them. She looked at Lincoln and nodded. They both stepped out at the same time ready to confront the approaching person. They stilled as they were met by Clarke.</p>
<p>She saw the look of shock on her face, clearly she was expecting no one to be here. Octavia pulled her into a hug glad that she was safe. She could tell something was on her mind just by how quickly her face hardened.</p>
<p>"What happened Clarke?" She watched as her eyes darkened and her face hardened even further.</p>
<p>"Lexa made a deal to save her people. We are on our own now. Have you found a way inside?" She brushed past them giving them no time to ask anymore questions.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>, but we would need a key card to get in." They made their way to the door and she watched as Clarke drew her sword. She looked at Lincoln and saw a look of worry on his face.</p>
<p>She stopped Clarke before she could bang on the door. Clarke's head snapped at her and she took a step back. There was a fire in her eyes that she had not seen before.</p>
<p>"What was that going to accomplice Clarke? They know we are here. What is there to stop them from killing us when they open the door." Clarke didn't have a chance to replay as the door swung open and all of them turned to it, weapons drawn.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Bellamy POV</strong>
</p>
<p>He had made it to the door with Jasper, Maya and Monty in tow. He had managed to get the grounders out of the cages but had to leave quickly as the guards came and escorted all of them out of the room. He had many questions but the most important one right now was why he felt cold steel at his throat.</p>
<p>He looked at who was holding the blade to his throat and was met by dark blue eyes that he didn't recognize. He looked behind this person and saw his sister.</p>
<p>"Octavia?" he asked, still not daring to move till the blade was away from his throat. He watched as she moved and placed a hand on the shoulder of the person in front of him.</p>
<p>"Clarke, it is Bell you can lower the sword now." He looked again at the face of the person in front of him as the sword was being lowered.</p>
<p>He could see the features in her face that told him this was Clarke but there was something different about her. He couldn't see a lot in the dim light.</p>
<p>"Hurry get inside." Thankfully they didn't argue and quickly made their way inside. He closed the door behind them and turned to look at the three of them again.</p>
<p>He was able to look at Clarke better now and what he saw shocked him. Her face was covered in the same paint the grounders used. Her hair had gotten slightly longer and was braided. Besides the sword that was still in her hand, he saw weapons strapped to the back of her jacket. She was a different person compared to the last time he had seen her. This was not the same Clarke he had come to care for and the frustrated him but he shoved it to the side for now.</p>
<p>"Where is the army?" He asked and he saw his sister tense. Clarke slowly turned around and met his gaze. Her eyes were full of fire and emotion. He stepped back at her gaze.</p>
<p>"A deal was offered and the commander took it. She made the deal with her head and I understand why she did it. It is up to us to bring this place down." He had so many questions and he could feel his anger start to rise.</p>
<p>The commander had betrayed the alliance between them. She left them to die. As far as he was concerned she was no longer an ally to them but an enemy just as the mountain is. He would do what was necessary for now but he saw the hurt in Clarke's eyes and he vowed to do whatever it took to remove that pain.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Clarke's POV</strong>
</p>
<p>She saw the anger in his eyes at her words. She saw the same look written on Jasper and Monty's face. She wanted to tell them more but she couldn't risk revealing that information now. She looked at Maya and met her gaze. She had been a key piece in making sure they got this far.</p>
<p>"Maya, what happened when the power went out?" She was doing everything in her power to keep her voice level. She saw it when everyone took a step back from her.</p>
<p>"They moved everyone to Level 5. The generators are only able to run that level for a couple months." She could tell she was holding something else back.</p>
<p>"What else is there, Maya. I need to know everything."</p>
<p>"Your people have been taken to a room to be harvested for their bone marrow. Cage is trying to cure as many of our people as possible. Monty and Jasper have been with me and so far we have been able to avoid the guards for this long. They are crawling every hallway now." She sighed at this news. She had hoped to move freely but that was not the case.</p>
<p>"Clarke, I know someone that may be able to help us if we can get to him." She looked at him and nodded.</p>
<p>She drew her weapon and started walking beside Bellamy. She wouldn't be taking any chances tonight. As far as she was concerned any guard that she came across would die tonight. She needed blood to spill one way or the other.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They made their way through the hallways checking every corner they came to for any guards. They came to one corner and Bellamy peaked around it and saw four guards come around the other side. He told her how many there were and she looked at Octavia and Lincoln. They nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Stay here and protect them. We will handle this." Before she could be stopped she stepped out from around the corner and made a beeline for the guards.</p>
<p>It took them a moment to register that she didn't belong but it was a moment too late. She flung a dagger at one of the men and it punctured his neck causing blood to squirt from around the blade. He immediately dropped his gun and tried to stop the bleeding. She was on the others before their guns were raised. She sliced the arm of one of them and felt the blood hit her face. She quickly swept his leg and stabbed him through the back. She pulled her sword out and sliced the thigh of her next victim. More blood came flying out at her but she didn't care. This was war and she loved it. She used one of her daggers to slit his throat and was moving to the next one as she saw a dagger sticking out of his throat already. She looked back and was met by a smile from Octavia.</p>
<p>"I couldn't let you have all the fun now could I?" She smirked at her as she wiped the blood off her blade on one of the bodies laying at her feet.</p>
<p>"Where the hell did you learn to do that Clarke?" She heard Bellamy ask as he slowly approached her.</p>
<p>"A lot has changed since you have been in here. I will explain at some point Bellamy." She saw the shock on his face and the hesitation on the others.</p>
<p>"Let's move." She said as she motioned for Bellamy to continue leading the way. She wiped the blood out of her eyes but left the rest. She wanted the people in here to fear her.</p>
<p>They made their way to their destination and she had to fight more guards the closer they got. She had lost count after the tenth one. They stopped outside of a door and Bellamy looked at her and she nodded. He opened the door and led them inside.</p>
<p>The room was solid white and blinding to look at. Sitting on a couch in the room was Dante Wallace. She looked at the man she had talked to at length after she had been introduced to him by his son. His face never showed the shock if he was feeling it.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you have changed since I last saw you. How many of my people did you kill on your way here?" His voice never changed as he spoke.</p>
<p>"I lost count but they were in my way. I did what was necessary." He smiled at her.</p>
<p>"I would not think you would do anything less." He turned and looked at Bellamy.</p>
<p>"Why did you bring her here. I told you never to seek me out again." Clarke had no idea what he meant by that but she really didn't care at this point.</p>
<p>"Sir we need your help again. We need a way to get our people out safely without any more lives being lost." She watched as Dante fought a war in his own head.</p>
<p>"He is not going to help us." She turned and looked at Monty.</p>
<p>"Can you get us into the command center?" He nodded.</p>
<p>"Come on, you're coming with us whether you want to help us or not." Bellamy grabbed the arm of the man and made him follow them out the door.</p>
<p>They made their way to the commander center. She was stopped by Maya before they made it halfway there.</p>
<p>"Clarke I am running out of air. I won't make it further. I need to go to Level 5." She nodded and turned to Jasper.</p>
<p>"Take her. Octavia, make sure they make it there safely. Once she is there, come back here." She nodded and proceeded to follow Jasper and Maya.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They parted ways and continued to the command center. Once outside the door Monty went to work. Something was bugging Clarke about Dante.</p>
<p>"Why are you not on Level 5 with your people?" She looked at the older man.</p>
<p>"After what I have told my people to do, they can be free, I can not. Their freedom came at a cost. I bear that weight so they do not have too." She heard the click of the door unlocking.</p>
<p>His words hit her like a brick. She knew that it wasn't Cage's idea to make the deal with Lexa but his. He did what he had to do to save his people just like Lexa did. She now understood how he felt but that didn't change her mission.</p>
<p>They entered the command center and Monty went to work bringing the monitors to life. She watched as the feed came online and she saw the dining area and a cave where there were people chained to a wall and someone on the table.</p>
<p>"Is that Wick?" she heard Bellamy say. She stepped closer to the monitor and saw her mother chained to the wall as well. What that hell? How did she wind up here? She turned around and saw Bellamy grab a radio.</p>
<p>"Make them stop. Call them off." He shoved the radio at the man.</p>
<p>"I won't do that." She was starting to get frustrated with him.</p>
<p>She looked back at the dining room and saw Emerson. She growled as she took the radio from Bellamy.</p>
<p>"Carl Emerson, Mount Weather Security detail come in." She spoke into the radio and watched his face as he grabbed his radio.</p>
<p>"Who is this?"</p>
<p>"You know who this is. Give the radio to the President." she watched as he started to walk away.</p>
<p>"Follow him Monty." he nodded and switched to another camera just as Emerson handed the radio to Cage. It was her turn to try and make a deal.</p>
<p>"This is President Wallace."</p>
<p>"I have your father. If you don't let my people go, I will kill him." She spoke into the radio as she turned to Bellamy. She didn't want to have to do this but she needed his death to be audible if it came to it.</p>
<p>"Give me your gun Bellamy." He hesitated but looked at her face and saw that same fire that he didn't want to cross appear again. He took his gun out of the holster and cocked it for her before turning it in his hand and handing it to her grip first.</p>
<p>"How do I know you have my father?" She moved the radio up to Dante and pushed the button.</p>
<p>"Stay the course Cage. Our people must live." She saw the realization hit Cage as she turned back to the main monitor.</p>
<p>"You wouldn't do it."</p>
<p>"You don't know me very well then." She turned back from the monitor and started walking to the door.</p>
<p>"This ends now. Let my people go or he dies." She waited hoping she wouldn't have to do this.</p>
<p>"I can't do that." Cage said across the radio.</p>
<p>"It would mean the end of our people." Dante said.</p>
<p>She turned around and leveled the gun at Dante. Bellamy moved from behind him and Monty got up from his seat. She saw Dante tense under the barrel of the gun.</p>
<p>"Clarke, we need him." Why was Bellamy trying to save this man?</p>
<p>"And I need his son to believe me." she pressed the button as she brought the radio up again.</p>
<p>"Last chance Cage. Let my people go." She watched the war battle across his face. He turned and looked at the people sitting in the dining room.</p>
<p>"Dad? I'll take care of our people." Dante turned from the monitor with a look of shock on his face.</p>
<p>"None of us have a choice here Clarke. We both have our people to look out for." She steady her breath as she took in his words.</p>
<p>"I didn't want any of this but you left me no choice." She pressed the button on the radio to make sure Cage heard this.</p>
<p>She squeezed the trigger and the gun went off sending the bullet square into Dante's chest. She looked at the monitor as Dante was taking his last breaths. She saw it register on Cage's face and a smile slowly crept to her face.</p>
<p>"Listen to me very carefully. I will not stop till my people are free. If you do not let them go I will irradiate Level 5." Every word she spoke hit him like a rock. She knew he was out of options and she wondered how far he would go before she had to make that call.</p>
<p>She watched the monitor closely as Emerson came closer to Cage. She knew what was coming next as Emerson left. She looked at Lincoln and hated what she was about to ask him to do.</p>
<p>"Lincoln, do not let him near this door. If you have to kill him then do so."</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Skaiheda</em>." he walked to the door and stepped outside. She turned back to the monitor and watched as Cage walked through the dining hall heading somewhere.</p>
<p>"Where is he going?" She heard Bellamy ask. They watched as he entered the room where Wick was still strapped down.</p>
<p>"Monty, can you do it." He nodded.</p>
<p>"Clarke, we have to think about this. There are kids in there." She hated this but she was running out of options.</p>
<p>"Then give a better reason Bellamy. We are out of time and down to this as our only option." She screamed at him. Her rage was reaching the tipping point between fury and sadness.</p>
<p>"If we do this, there is no going back. We would be killing people that helped us get to this point." She knew he was quickly coming to the same conclusion she had.</p>
<p>Her gaze was still focused on the monitor as Wick was being pulled off the table. She watched as Cage ordered her mother to be put there. Her breath caught in her throat. Her mother should not have been her but because of her decision Cage was retaliating and she didn't know how to feel about this. Her and her mother didn't get along but seeing her put on a table to be used for bone marrow against her will cause her to falter slightly.</p>
<hr/>
<p><em>"Clarke now is not the time to doubt yourself. You have been strong throughout all of this. It is time to make that call you knew would come."</em> <em>Wanheda</em> spoke to her for the first time since she entered the mountain.</p>
<p>She had been able to feel her presence since she started taking lives. She felt the power and bloodlust take her and she had been able to control it for now. She was standing in this room at a crossroads.</p>
<p>"<em>This is a hard call Clarke, but survival comes at a cost. Lexa made her choice now it is your turn to do the same." Wanheda's</em> voice faded as she looked at Monty.</p>
<p>"Figure it out now." She told the boy. She split her attention between the monitor and Monty. The door to the cave opened and Jasper walked in and was being chained up. Shit he had been caught. She watched as he started to slowly pick the lock when no one was looking. What is he up too? She thought.</p>
<p>"Why did you stop?" she asked Monty.</p>
<p>"Because I did it. All you have to do is pull this lever and it will reverse the turbines and pull the outside air in." She moved her hand to the lever and hovered above it.</p>
<p>Her mind was made up as she watched the monitor and saw Jasper had gotten out of his cuffs. She lowered her hand to the lever and hesitated. She took a breath and centered herself as best as she could. She thought about who she was doing this for and why she needed to do this.</p>
<p>"Please forgive me." She whispered as she pulled the lever down.</p>
<p>Alarms started going off all over the complex. Her eyes gravitated the monitors as she watched realization hit Cage. He bolted out of the room and was quickly followed by Jasper. She watched as the people of the mountain slowly started gasping for air and their skin started to blister. She watched as one by one they died and fell to the floor. She sighed and let out a breath. Her job was done and the mountain was no more.</p>
<p>She let her head drop once she saw her people breaking themselves out of the chains. Her people were safe and alive. She felt Bellamy come up behind her and lay a hand on her shoulder trying to offer her some comfort. She reached one of her hands up to meet his and she gave it a squeeze. She stayed that way trying to gather herself as she felt tears start to fall from her eyes. She kept reminding herself that she had done what was needed but the fact that kids had died because of it caused her heart to break. She had ended the lives of children that were innocent. She took one more glance at the monitors and turned to look at Bellamy.</p>
<p>"Bellamy can you go make sure no one is outside the door? I'll be out there in a minute." He nodded at her reluctantly and left. Once the door was closed she turned back to Monty needing him to look into something.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Monty, is there a way we can disable everything that runs on the generators. The commander said we would discuss having the medical equipment after the battle was over." He nodded but before he turned back to the monitor he looked at her.</p>
<p>"Clarke, something is telling me you know more about why she left." She looked back at the door before she sighed. She trusted Monty and she felt she could trust him with this.</p>
<p>"Yes Monty I do. The commander and I discussed the possibility one of us could be offered a deal. I told her that she needed to take that deal. I made the choice for her to do that because if she didn't her people would revolt and to be honest we still need her help." She took a breath as she sat down next to him.</p>
<p>"We don't know anything about this land down here. We still need her help if we want to survive. She told me that the winter season was coming soon and we are not ready for that kind of weather. I need you to promise me something." She locked her gaze with his.</p>
<p>"What is it Clarke?" She hesitated wondering if this was the right call.</p>
<p>"What I am about to tell you does not leave this room. If this information gets out it would cause major problems for all of us." She saw some form of gratitude cross his face.</p>
<p>"I promise Clarke. You have shown today that you are willing to make the call that is best for us. You have done that from day one when even Bellamy didn't. I won't betray you." She smiled as she felt him squeeze her hand.</p>
<p>"My mother is to not be trusted. The commander does not trust her and Abby has done nothing but try to sabotage the alliance we have with Lexa. I have already started to put plans in motion to take her out of power but it is tricky because I have to have proof." She took another breath before she continued.</p>
<p>"In Lexa's eyes I am the leader of <em>Skaikru</em>. I have appointed Kane to be the leader once my mother is taken care of. He has already started to work with the <em>Trikru</em> to improve our camp. Raven is his second in command and I need you to help him as well." She dropped her gaze away from him for a brief moment and saw that Octavia had entered the chamber where her people were being held.</p>
<p>"I'll do it Clarke. There is something else isn't there?" How he had been able to read her, she didn't know but she needed him on her side.</p>
<p>"Yes Monty. The commander and I are together. We are keeping it silent because Lexa has many enemies that would love to use me against her. The threat of the mountain is how she was able to bring all of the clans together. Once word gets out the mountain is no more it could get ugly. After we get back to camp I will be leaving and going to meet her in <em>Tondisi</em>." She almost chuckled at the shock on his face.</p>
<p>"I'll keep that to myself. Who else knows?"</p>
<p>"Octavia and Indra. I am sure Raven and Kane suspect something but they haven't mentioned it yet." She stood back up needing to walk around.</p>
<p>"Thank you for telling me Clarke. Now let me see what I can find." She nodded at him and just watched the monitors.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It took him several minutes to go through the logs. He found that he could kill all access to the mountain but that would lock all the doors and trap them inside. He found a way to reprogram the codes to something that Clarke would be able to use and only her. She thought about this for a moment.</p>
<p>"Do it Monty. I will talk this over with the commander when I see her." He nodded and took the number sequence she wanted and reprogrammed it. He found a spare key card and downloaded the credentials of Cage on to it. Clarke now had full control of the mountain and her key card was the only one that would open the mountain.</p>
<p>"Is there a way to seal the doors from the outside?" She asked as she turned the card in her hand.</p>
<p>"Yes there is. There is a key pad on the outside of the main door. Once we close the door you will put in your code and swipe your card and everything will shut down, officially turning off the mountain. The only way to bring it back online is with your code and card." She nodded at him as she slid the card in the one of the pockets on her pants.</p>
<p>"Shut it down Monty. We need to go gather our people." He nodded as he typed in a sequence of numbers and the monitors died. He stood up and nodded at her as they made their way to the door.</p>
<p>"Thank you Monty." She said to the man before she reached for the handle on the door.</p>
<p>"You welcome Clarke." She nodded and pushed the door open.</p>
<p>She stepped outside and saw that Bellamy was walking back their way. She looked around for Lincoln but he was nowhere to be found. She started walking toward Bellamy, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to see.</p>
<p>"Where is Lincoln?" She asked as she stopped in front of him.</p>
<p>"I came out here as you wanted and he was gone. I started walking the halls trying to find him when I went around a corner and saw him following Cage. If I had to guess he went after him and Emerson." She sighed to herself. She should have known that Lincoln would not let them escape.</p>
<p>"Well I will deal with that later. Let us go get our people." He nodded at her and they started walking toward the dining area.</p>
<p>She looked to her left and saw Bellamy fell in step with her there and to her right was Monty. Who would have guessed it would be these two who were trying to be her pillars of support right now. She trusted Bellamy to a degree but he was still too jumpy for her liking.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They reached the door to the dining area within five minutes and her hand stilled as she reached for the door. She had already been keeping a count of how many lives she had taken. She started keeping count after she had tried to save that girl in Anya's village and saw how Lexa's people marked themselves. Her count was nearing one thousand she surmised after tonight. She counted the people Finn slaughtered, she counted the people she burned alive at the dropship, she counted the people that were killed by the missile at Tondisi, and she counted the people she had just sentenced to death tonight. Her body was still covered in the dried blood of the guards she had slain, but that was nothing compared to how much red actually on her hands. They were dripping with it by now and she knew it would only continue to grow.</p>
<p>She took a breath and pulled the door open. No matter how much she had tried to prepare for this it still was not enough. She walked through the door and started counting as she walked past each body. Every face was being burned into her mind as she slowly made her way through the room. All of these people had lived here for years not fully knowing what their leaders had been doing. The first child she came across made her stop. The child was holding on to its mother for dear life. Her heart shattered for the second time tonight and she fell to her knees no longer able to hold back the tears. She felt two hands on her shoulders as they let her work through this.</p>
<p>She willed herself to stand and continued to make her way through the hall. She came to another halt when she was the unmistakable head of Jasper holding a body. She made her way over to him and knelt down in front of him. He met her eyes and she saw the hate behind them. She couldn't blame him for it either. She hated herself but also was starting to realize that this was part of her life now. She would bear this so her people didn't have to.</p>
<p>"Clarke, why did you do this. If you had given me two more minutes Cage would have been dead. I was going to kill him." He spoke through the tears that were falling from his face as he still held onto Maya.</p>
<p>"I had no choice Jasper. This was the only way. I am sorry." She tried to console him but the look she was met with told her all she needed to know.</p>
<p>"The only way? Who gave you the power to make that call? You killed her Clarke and I will never forgive you for that." His words hit her like a brick. He was lost and she had hoped that he would eventually come around and see her way.</p>
<p>"Monty stay with him please. I'll come get you once everyone is accounted for." He nodded and tried to offer some help for his friend. She looked at Bellamy and saw the grief written on his face. He was dealing with this as well and she hoped he would understand why she had to do it.</p>
<p>She continued walking though Level 5 continuing her count. She made it to the other side of the room and found the door Cage had left through. She pushed it open and stepped into the hall and tried to remember which door she was looking for. She searched her memory and was able to remember his path. She found the door and sighed trying to decide if she was ready to face her people. She pushed the door open and stepped through.</p>
<p>Once inside she locked eyes with Octavia and she came sprinting over and pulled her into a hug. She relaxed into it thankful for the feeling of having her best friend there. She felt Octavia pull back and search her face. She just nodded at her as she moved to check on everyone else. One by one she talked to her people asking if they were okay. Every story was the same and everyone of them continued to thank her. She was not sure if she even deserved their thanks after the genocide she had committed tonight.</p>
<p>She eventually found Wick who was propped up against a wall barely awake. She crouched down in front of him and reached up to touch his face to wake him. He jumped at the contact and let out a groan from the pain that radiated from his leg. His eyes searched for who was touching him and he found her blue eyes.</p>
<p>"Clarke?" He asked, still floating between reality and passing out.</p>
<p>"Yeah Wick it is me. I am glad to see you are alive." He smiled at her and let out a small chuckle.</p>
<p>"Glad to be here as well. Did Raven make it out?" She nodded at him.</p>
<p>"Good, I just hope she waits to kill me till I am healed." She let out a chuckle at his response.</p>
<p>"I would expect at least a stern talking too. She cares for you no matter how much she doesn't show it." She smiled at him and told him to rest. He nodded and closed his eyes.</p>
<p>She stood up and made the hardest walk over to her mother. She was propped up against the chest of Kane. She looked down at her mother and tried to force a smile. She looked at Kane and he just nodded understanding her feelings at the moment. She could tell Abby was trying to say something but the pain and exhaustion caused her to give up on it.</p>
<p>"Miller." She looked around and chuckled when both father and son came up to her.</p>
<p>"Okay so I will have to figure that one out." They chuckled at her and asked what she needed.</p>
<p>"We need to find a way to transport our wounded. Wick and Abby will need to be carried." They nodded and started searching for any way to transport them.</p>
<p>She looked at the room she was standing in and started to feel the walls start to shrink. She tried to control it as she made her way out of the room. She busted through the door and sank down one of the walls. She felt a presence beside her and looked up and found Octavia sitting next to her. She smiled but still felt a panic attack coming on. She focused on Lexa and her breathing started to even out. She knew she had some things to work through with her but she still loved her and Lexa was her rock.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Octavia asked no questions as she watched Clarke slow her breathing. She had been expecting this since Clarke entered the room. She had watched as she made the rounds checking on everyone. She had to admit that Clarke always tried to make sure they were okay no matter what had happened. She had come around to seeing why Clarke had made the choice to not warn anyone about the missile. Granted she came to that conclusion the hard way but she now understood that Clarke was doing the best she could for her people.</p>
<p>"Octavia?" She heard her name come out as a whisper.</p>
<p>"Yes Clarke?" She turned and looked at her.</p>
<p>"I can't go back to that room. It feels too small. I need you to make sure everyone is ready to move soon. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible." Octavia looked into her eyes and saw how much this was affecting her.</p>
<p>"I can do that." She took a breath before she got up.</p>
<p>"Clarke, I won't even begin to try and understand what you are going through. I just want you to know I am here for you if you need anything." She gave her hand a squeeze as she sat there with her.</p>
<p>"Thanks O. Go make sure our people are doing okay." she nodded and got up giving a quick glance back at her. Clarke looked at her and just smiled trying to hide what she was feeling.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lincoln POV</strong>
</p>
<p>He had followed Cage out of Mount Weather and he was tracking the man very carefully. He had found the man fleeing while he was checking the hallways that surrounded the command center. It was still dark outside and there was a layer of fog which made it easier for him to move around undetected. He watched as the man stumbled his way through the forest trying to find his way around. It reminded him of watching a new child in the clans that didn't know how to travel yet.</p>
<p>Every now and then he would purposely snap a branch and watch as he would panic. He found some satisfaction in toying with the man. He considered taking his life would be enough justice for him. He stalked the man for thirty minutes watching and waiting for the right moment. Cage entered a small clearing and started turning in circles trying to figure out which way to go. Lincoln figured it was time to get this over with and report back to Clarke.</p>
<p>He made his presence known but stayed hidden. He slowly made his way closer to him and would crack twigs at different points around him. Every time he made a noise Cage would whip his head in the direction he thought it was coming from and it was always the opposite one.</p>
<p>"Who is there?" Cage finally called out and Lincoln could tell he was worried.</p>
<p>Lincoln kept quiet as he leapt from the tree he was in. He landed and the man quickly pulled out his dagger to deal the death blow but his body went rigid and his head started ringing. He looked up and saw that Cage had one of the devices that control the reapers. He backed off of him and was trying to cover his ears. He could tell Cage was feeling confident and that would be his downfall.</p>
<p>He went to grab something from his bag and he saw that it was the same stuff that he had been injected with that turned him into a reaper. He waited till Cage got close and moved his hand ever so slightly. In one quick motion he used all of his strength and sliced upwards taking Cage's hand clean off. He didn't want to wait a moment longer while the shock registered on his face.</p>
<p>He moved quickly and stabbed the man in the chest. He wanted him to suffer but he didn't have time to sit here and wait for him to bleed out. He drew his sword and swung it with both hands aiming for his neck. He heard the thud of his head hitting the ground followed by his body quickly after. He contemplated taking the head with him as a prize for Clarke but he knew that could not be received well. He looked over the body in front of him and tried to find something that would work as proof that he was dead.</p>
<p>He saw a watch on his right wrist and quickly removed it. He looked at the jacket and saw the pin near his collar that signaled he was the president of the mountain. He collected that and stuffed them into a pouch on his waist. He made his way to the vial that he had dropped and crushed it with his boot. He wanted to make sure no one would be able to turn his people into reapers again. He had no desire to burn his body and for all he cared the animals could have it.</p>
<p>He gathered his dagger from his chest and wiped the blood on the jacket of Cage. He took one more look around and nodded to himself. His job was done for now. He started the trek back to Mount Weather and to meet with Clarke.</p>
<p>It took him forty five minutes to reach the door he had come out of. He threw open the door and hopefully for the final time entered Mount Weather. He made his way through the winding hallways heading back to the command center and the last place he had left Clarke. He made it to the door and pulled it open. He looked inside and saw no one was there. He quickly shut the door and made his way to find where she had gone.</p>
<p>He was walking for a few minutes when he passed a door that he could see lights through. He looked through the window and saw bodies. He opened the door and stepped inside and his breath caught in his throat at what was in front of him. Everywhere he looked bodies were on the floor or slumped over in chairs. He made his way through the room and looked at the faces of these people. Each one was covered in burns that he had seen his people who had been caught by the fog bear.</p>
<p>In the middle of the room were two people crouched over a body. He made his way there and one of them looked up at him. It was Monty and he saw him and made a motion with his head telling them which way Clarke had gone. He nodded back at him and carefully made his way around where he was so as to not disturb the other person. He found another door at the other side of the room and stepped through it. He followed the hallway and came to another door.</p>
<p>He went through this door and looked to his left and saw a figure slumped against a wall. He looked closely and saw the blood stained, blond hair that belonged to Clarke. He made his way over to her and made his footsteps audible. Her head snapped up and looked in his direction. He saw the redness in her eyes and saw where her war paint had started to run. He approached her slowly not wanting to further upset her. He raised an eyebrow at her and she nodded answering his unasked question.</p>
<p>He slid down the wall and sat next to her. He felt her lean her head against his shoulder and he stiffened at first but relaxed. She was obviously in need of some form of comfort and he would be there for her. She had proven herself tonight and he could not be more proud of the woman she had become.</p>
<p>"Did you find them?" He heard her ask. She must have found out where he went.</p>
<p>"I found Cage but Emerson is nowhere to be found." He reached to his left side and pulled out the pouch and handed it to her. She raised an eyebrow at him as she undid the string.</p>
<p>"I took those from his body as proof that he could no longer cause any of us pain." He watched as she pulled out the watch and pin.</p>
<p>"He is really dead?" He looked at her funny but could still see a trace of fear and doubt on her face.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Skaiheda</em>, I cut off his head and destroyed the last remaining vial of the stuff they used to turn my people into reapers." She nodded at him as she put the items back in the pouch and tied it to her right side.</p>
<p>"<em>Mochaf Linkon</em>, You did well tonight." She turned and looked at him once more.</p>
<p>"Octavia is through that door to make sure our people will be ready to leave soon. Go see her but I need you to grab Bellamy and try to find a way to the main door that does not take us by the dining area. They do not need to see that." He saw a fog fall over her face and a shiver run through her.</p>
<p>"Clarke you did what you had to do. You find no blame coming from me. You are a strong leader and I am proud to follow you." He stood up and made his way to the door. She looked after the big man and smiled.</p>
<p>"<em>Mochaf Linkon kom Trikru en Skaikru.</em>" he looked back at her, nodded and made his way inside.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Outside the door to Mount Weather</strong>
</p>
<p>It was daylight as she stepped outside of the mountain. It had taken them a few hours to make sure everyone was accounted for and able to walk. Bellamy and Lincoln had found the quickest way out of the mountain while avoiding the dining hall. She had collected Monty and Jasper as before she followed her people. Jasper was reluctant to follow her out and started to attack her. Octavia was quick to jump in front of her and knocked him out cold. One of the <em>Skaikru</em> guards were brought over and slung Jasper over his shoulder.</p>
<p>She was glad to breathe the fresh morning air as she stood at the top of the hill. She waited until the last person was outside the door and told Bellamy to follow them. She would be right behind them. He nodded at her and followed their people. She looked at Monty and nodded. Octavia raised an eyebrow as she watched Clarke move to the key pad by the door.</p>
<p>"Are you sure this will work?" She asked Monty for the last time.</p>
<p>"Yes Clarke, once you enter your sequence of numbers and swipe that card Mount Weather will be shut down." She nodded at him and entered the sequence and swiped her card.</p>
<p>She heard the gears grind in the door and slowly the door began to close. She had found out the charge she had set off had just disabled one of the locking systems in the door. They wouldn't have been able to pull open the door if they had wanted to. She heard the door shut and the locks fall into place. The lights on the outside of the door went dark and the keypad dimmed as well. She turned and walked back to Octavia and saw she was watching her closely. She shook her head at her and started walking toward Camp Jaha ready to leave this nightmare behind her.</p>
<p>Octavia fell in beside her as well as Monty. She looked at both of them and smiled proud of them both. Octavia had shown that she was willing to stay by her side no matter what uncertainty there was. She wasn't sure how she would take the news that they would be leaving when they got back to camp. Clarke had hoped that Lexa had retrieved her horse from the village they had been at.</p>
<p>She was proud of Monty. He had done what she had asked with any question. He understood that she was out of options and her back was against the wall. She looked at him more like a brother now and she was glad to have one.</p>
<p>They caught up with Bellamy who was at the tail end of their group. He was watching the surrounding for any dangers that could come out of the woods. Clarke walked up next to him and tried to let a smile show. She may not fully trust him but she couldn't tip her hand to any of her plans.</p>
<p>"You okay Princess?" He smirked at her when he noticed she was beside him.</p>
<p>"I will be eventually. Thank you for everything you did." She looked forward, not daring to look at him the face just yet.</p>
<p>"We will get through this. We did what we had to do to survive." He followed her gaze and saw the sun still rising on the horizon.</p>
<p>"I know. Lets just make sure we get back to camp safely." He nodded at her and they walked in silence.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She was glad for the silence. Her mind was racing trying to decide how to tell certain people that she would be leaving. She needed the time away and if she was being honest with herself she needed to see Lexa. There was much that she needed to be filled in on and the soon she knew about what happened the better. She ran through the list of people she needed to tell and realized that the only people that may cause a problem was her mother and Bellamy.</p>
<p>She hadn't forgotten the look on his face when she had told them about Lexa leaving them there. She knew that he most likely held resentment and hatred towards her but she was hoping that he would trust her on this matter. Her home was no longer at Camp Jaha, it was wherever Lexa was at.</p>
<p><em>"You did well Clarke. News of your victory here will spread throughout the lands and you will be known as Wanheda. It is time for us to start working more with each other. You are strong enough now for us to start becoming one. It will be a difficult task but I believe you can handle it." Wanheda</em> spoke to her as she focused on the sunrise.</p>
<p>"<em>Thank you for the vote of confidence finally."</em> She retorted back at her. She still hadn't forgotten what she had been told before.</p>
<p>"<em>You proved yourself worthy of my help. You made a tough call and saved your people. That is what a leader must do. We will talk more later. I know you have many doubts right now and you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders but seek out Lexa. She will help you deal with all of this."</em> With those final words <em>Wanheda</em> left her to her own thoughts.</p>
<p>Clarke let out a breath and tried to center herself once more. She was starting to feel the exhaustion set in but she couldn't let it take its hold just yet. She had to get her people home and then head for her true home at the commander's side.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Somewhere North of Mount Weather</strong>
</p>
<p>Emerson had not stopped since he had escaped from the mountain. Once he had left Cage's side he bolted knowing Cage was going to lose this fight. He knew his only chance at survival was to take his knowledge and head north. He was not sure that he would be spared but if he was able to talk to the leader of Azgeda then he may be able to have safety.</p>
<p>It was sunrise as he broke through to a clearing and saw the first since of the changing climate. He could feel the cooler air and he knew he was heading the right way. He had no indication of what to look for; he just had a direction so he continued that way. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long. He had made it across a clearing and into another patch of woods when he felt his feet taken out from under him. He crashed hard to the ground and rolled over.</p>
<p>His feet were tied together and he heard the unmistakable sounds of horses. He sat there not even trying to run. He waited and watched. Through the woods behind him five horses broke through the tree line. They were dressed the same outfits he had seen the commander's warriors wear but they were darker and had white running through them. The furs looked thicker like they had been made to survive a harsher climate. He looked up at their faces and saw scars on each of them. He knew who he was looking at. He slowly raised his hands and cleared his throat.</p>
<p>"I have information for you leader. If you take me to them I will give them everything I know about the commander." He saw the warriors look at each other then nod. One of the men dismounted and walked over to him. He saw it coming and just cursed to himself as a fist came flying at his face and his world faded to black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Woods outside the Door of Mount Weather</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Early Morning</strong>
</p>
<p>She was perched up in a tree watching and waiting for any sign of the <em>Skaikru</em>. <em>Heda</em> had told her to go back the mountain and stay hidden but keep watch. She felt a swell of pride flair through her as she was being trusted by her <em>Heda</em> for this mission. She was still a young scout in her clan so she jumped at the opportunity to prove herself. She had made her way, as fast as her horse was able to carry her, from the village she was at.</p>
<p>This was her first solo scouting mission since she had started her training. She had a feeling she was chosen because she was younger than the other scouts. She had climbed into this tree noticing that it had coverage from every angle. Her joints were starting to stiffen as she had been here for hours it felt like.</p>
<p>Just as she was starting to feel like <em>Skaikru</em> were no more she saw the door start to move. The first of the <em>Skaikru</em> came out of the main door. From her tree she watched and counted how many were coming out. She knew she was watching for one specific person. She had heard the rumors about Skaiheda and all that she had done before forming the alliance with Heda. She was looking for hair that shone in the sun. She kept waiting and watching as Skaikru kept coming out of the door.</p>
<p>She watched as people were walking out but also there were a few people that were being carried out. What had gone on inside she wondered. It took about ten minutes till she saw the person she was waiting for. She almost missed her because her blond hair was streaked with red. She watched as she came out of the door and made sure her people made it out safely. She was talking with a boy who had curly black hair and she could see that she had told him to go ahead. <em>Skaiheda</em> was now standing with a warrior and another boy.</p>
<p>She watched as they went to the door and did something with it. The door started to close and Skaiheda looked in the direction of where she was perched and smiled. There was no way she should have been able to be seen. She locked eyes with her and stood still. Her gaze broke quickly and she watched as they turned and started walking in the same direction as the rest of her people.</p>
<p>Her mission was to observe and report on the status of <em>Skaikru</em> but there was something about Skaiheda that made her want to follow and see where they were going. She had an idea and she figured the more information she had the better it would look. She waited till she was sure she wouldn't be seen and started moving between the trees.</p>
<p>She kept her distance but was close enough to keep an eye on <em>Skaikru</em>. It was interesting to her how most of them just kept their head forward and were not looking around for any danger. She noticed that a grounder at the front of the group was looking around. At the back of the group there was <em>Skaiheda</em> and her guard that looked around.</p>
<p>When they stilled she immediately found a place to conceal herself. She waited trying to control her breathing as she watched Skaiheda and her guard walk towards her location. She knew if she was caught she would be punished but a part of her was intrigued to meet the one known as Skaiheda.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Clarke's POV</strong>
</p>
<p>The feeling of being watched had not left her since she stepped outside of Mount Weather. She tried to ignore it but Wanheda was being persistent in reminding her of it. She had an idea of who sent this person to watch her but she wanted to be careful because of how many enemies this person had. She moved closer to Octavia before she spoke.</p>
<p>"I think we are being watched." She whispered to her general.</p>
<p>"I got the same feeling as well. Do you think she sent someone to see if we came out alive?" She already knew the answer but wanted to be sure.</p>
<p>"Only one way to find out." She shrugged as she moved closer to Bellamy.</p>
<p>"Octavia and I are going to branch off and do a sweep. They need a break anyway and we shouldn't be gone long. Find Lincoln and fill him in." He nodded at her and started to tell everyone to rest.</p>
<p>She turned to Octavia and nodded. Together they slowly made their way to where Clarke figured this person had been watching them from as they walked. They both were on guard but hadn't drawn their weapons yet hoping they could solve this peacefully.</p>
<p>Once they broke into the trees both their eyes started scanning high and low looking for anything out of place. They both looked towards the trees knowing Lexa's people loved to hide in them. Nothing stood out to them so they went further in. They stopped after another few steps and decided to try something different.</p>
<p>"Whoever you are, I know you are there and I just want to talk. We will not harm you." Clarke said into the open forest waiting to see what would come out.</p>
<p>She waited for five minutes before she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She raised her hand to her sword but stilled her hand on the handle. She turned to the movement and saw a young girl come out from behind a tree. She could not have been but a few years younger than herself. She sucked in a breath at her because she could have sworn that she was a spitting image of Anya. She blinked a couple times trying to make sure she wasn't seeing things.</p>
<p>She saw the girl put her hands up in surrender and slowly Clarke lowered her hand. She started to approach the woman and she could see the fear on her face. She relaxed her face slightly to seem welcoming. She knew this could go badly in a heartbeat. She was a few feet from the girl when she stilled.</p>
<p><em>"Ai laik Klark kom Skaikru. Chon yu bilaik?"(I am Clarke of the sky people. Who are you?)</em> she saw out of the corner of her eye Octavia raised an eyebrow but she ignored it. She saw the battle on the young girl's face even though she was trying to hide and the more she did the more Clarke saw Anya.</p>
<p>"<em>Ai laik Elanta kom Trikru."(I am Elanta of the tree people)</em> The girl said still on the defensive. Clarke understood why she was this way.</p>
<p><em>"Do yu speak gonasleng?"</em>(Do you speak English?)</p>
<p><em>"Sha"</em> Clarke smiled at her.</p>
<p>"Okay. Did <em>Heda</em> send you?" She kept her voice calm knowing this would be a shot in the dark but she was hoping based on the age of the girl that this was her first solo mission.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>, she did." Clarke relaxed slightly now that she had confirmed her suspicions.</p>
<p>"Good. I have a message for her." The girl nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Tell <em>Heda</em>, the angel of the night sky is alive and the mountain is no more. Tell her the angel will be leaving her metal prison today. Tell her that the angel will be with two companions heading for her home." Clarke knew that Lexa would be the only one that would understand her words.</p>
<p><em>"Sha Skaiheda."</em> She turned and started running back to where the commander was at. Clarke watched her go hoping the girl would deliver the message quickly.</p>
<p>"Angel of the night sky, huh? When did she give you that title?" She looked at Octavia who bore a grin so wide she thought her face was going to split in half.</p>
<p>"Yesterday." Clarke just smiled at her and Octavia shook her head as they started back to join their people.</p>
<p>"Interesting name for Camp Jaha by the way and if I can ask, who are the two companions you are leaving with?" She should have known Octavia would pick up on those things.</p>
<p>"Yeah that is kind of how it feels now. Too cramped. Once we deal with my mother I plan on talking to Kane to make sure <em>Skaikru</em> expands past those damn walls." She heard a chuckle come from Octavia.</p>
<p>"You and Lincoln are leaving with me. Lexa told me to meet her in Tondisi and bring you two with me. His banishment has been lifted after everything he has done for both of our clans." She felt that she was walking alone and turned around and saw Octavia standing stiff as a board with a look of shock on her face.</p>
<p>She quickly scanned the area looking for any attacker but didn't find one so she gave her a smack on the shoulder to bring her out of her stupor.</p>
<p>"What was that for?" She asked, rubbing her shoulder.</p>
<p>"I had to get your attention somehow." She just smiled at her.</p>
<p>"Sorry, I just never thought we would be able to leave Camp Jaha. It just surprised me." She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't in a dream. Clarke laughed at her and signaled for them to continue.</p>
<p>"Well look at it this way. I know you don't find Camp Jaha home just like me. It hasn't been for a while for the both of us." Octavia just nodded knowing it was true.</p>
<p>"We both got attached to a grounder and we were the first one that tried to prove ourselves to them." She saw the shiver that ran through her spine. They both remembered the fight Octavia was in.</p>
<p>"Yeah that was not one of my fondest days but it worked." Clarke nodded as they stepped out of the woods and made their way back to the group.</p>
<p><em>"Sha Okteivia, Nau let yumi get Oso kru bakon gon camp krei Oso na ban op."(Yes Octavia. Now let us get our people back to camp so we can leave.)</em> Clarke just smiled at her when she shook her head still in disbelief.</p>
<p>"When did you become fluent in Trigedasleng?" She heard Octavia ask.</p>
<p>"I guess I just picked it up quickly. Lexa is a good teacher." Clarke said, trying to hide the fact that she had just started being able to speak and understand it yesterday.</p>
<p>"I would say so." She said as they hound back up with Bellamy and nodded at him to continue. She looked around and felt at ease if only for a moment.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Village halfway from the mountain</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mid morning</strong>
</p>
<p>Lexa had not slept all night, once they arrived back in the village. Her arrival was subdued compared to some of her arrivals after a war. She made sure that all of her people that were rescued from the mountain immediately were seen by the healers. It took them all night to get back to the village and to make sure everyone was accounted for. She made her way to the tent she was given and had to force herself to go inside.</p>
<p>She looked around the room and her eyes landed on a jacket that had been draped across the table. It was Clarke's jacket that she normally wore when not in battle gear. She felt her chest constrict the more she looked at it and the memory of having to leave Clarke there on the mountain came flooding back to her. She knew that Clarke understood but she remembered seeing the pain hidden behind her eyes. She started to take off her gear wanting to free herself from the weight it carried.</p>
<p>She made sure everything was neatly arranged and went to the table and grabbed her jacket . She pulled it close and took in her scent that clung to the collar of the jacket. It calmed her nerves ever so slightly. She looked at it again and realized that Clarke and her were about the same size. She pulled the coat on and immediately felt the warmth envelope her. She sat down at the table and started to wash the dried blood and war paint off her face.</p>
<p>Every time she came back from a battle or just a meeting that required her war paint she always looked forward to the end of the day when she could wash it away and feel normal. She had always felt like she had to be two different people and it was a hard job to be the one person everyone looked up to and then try to remember who she was at her core.</p>
<p>She looked at the bowl of water in front of her and it had already gone dark from the mix of dried blood and her war paint. She finished cleaning her face and let one of the guards know to bring her some food and have Indra come met her as well.</p>
<p>She sat at the table, her mind running through everything she had to do while her heart was hurting and hoping Clarke was alive. She had sent out one of the only scouts in the village when she got back. She knew that she most likely would get spotted because she was still a <em>gofua </em>when it came to scouting but she was the only one old enough to be sent.</p>
<p>She had almost gone back to help Clarke but she knew if she had done that her people would start questioning her as their leader. It was the toughest thing she had ever had to do and it was eating her alive. Her heart shattered piece by piece the further she got from the mountain but she had to hide all of her emotions.</p>
<p>She closed her eyes to try and control herself but as soon as she did she saw Clarke's face covered in blood moving through a corridor fighting. She watched as she moved around corner after corner cutting down people and making her way somewhere. Her eyes immediately flew open and her heart started to beat faster. What had she just witnessed? She didn't know if what she saw was true or just the lack of sleep starting to get to her.</p>
<p>She felt the tears start to form in her eyes as she thought about Clarke. Her worst fear was losing Clarke because of a choice she had to make. In the short amount of time they had been working with each other and started being with the other, she felt the pull to be around her as much as she could. For the first time in a long time she allowed the tears to fall. She allowed herself to feel the emotion she had to hide for so long.</p>
<p>The tears racked through her body as they came. She cried for the pain her people had gone through because of the mountain. She cried for the people she had lost since Clarke and her people had landed her. She cried for the lives Clarke had to take and the pain she saw behind her eyes.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Indra had walked in carrying the plate of food for her when she looked at the table and saw Lexa with her head in her hands and she heard the audible sobs coming from her. She felt for the girl, she had been through so much since she had been called to lead their people. This was the first time in a long time she had seen Lexa like this. She set the food down on the table carefully as not to disturb her.</p>
<p>Lexa had heard as Indra came in and she was glad that she was not saying anything. She lifted her head from her hands as she tried to school her face and looked at Indra. She saw the confusion and worried look across her face and for the first time it didn't quickly leave. She motioned for her to sit as she took the food and started to force herself to eat.</p>
<p>"How are our people that came from the mountain?" She was trying to take her mind off her emotions and think with her head again.</p>
<p>"They are fine <em>Heda</em>. The real question is how are you?" She stilled her hand and looked at her. She searched her eyes for any sign of doubt.</p>
<p>"I will be fine as always. I bear it so they do not as I always have." She tried to sound confident but she was exhausted both mental and physically. She had not gotten a good night's rest in a few days. Even when Clarke had stayed with her, she found herself lying there awake just holding onto the last bit of herself she could before the battle would begin.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Heda</em>, but that was not my question and you know it." Indra just studied her as she ate.</p>
<p>She let out a breath and put down her fork. She sat back and looked at the ceiling of the tent. She knew deep down she was not okay and leaving Clarke standing there had caused her to hurt.</p>
<p>"Indra, you know anything we talk about should not leave this tent correct?" She moved her head back down and locked her gaze with her general.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>." She nodded as she started to try and relax.</p>
<p>"To answer your question, no I am not okay. I haven't been since we left the mountain. I haven't been able to sleep for more than a couple of hours in the last week. I am worried about our people." She paused as she took a drink.</p>
<p>"You are worried about someone else as well?" Indra posed the question knowing what was really causing this.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>, I know Clarke and I had talked about the deal being offered but I am worried that because I took it, it will cause <em>Skaikru</em> to hate us and want nothing more to do with us."</p>
<p>"I wouldn't let Clarke hear you say that. She has proven me wrong on multiple occasions and I fully believe that she will bring <em>Skaikru</em> to see why you did what you did." Indra took a breath trying to collect her thoughts as she was not normally one that liked conversations like this.</p>
<p>"She is strong <em>Leska</em>, she will find a way to come back to you and continue to drive me crazy worrying about the both of you." Lexa let out a chuckle at that and Indra smiled, glad to hear her laugh.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Before she could continue one of the guards stuck his head in the tent and told them that the scout had returned. She told the man to wait for a moment. She quickly wiped her face with a towel and tried to hide the remnants of her tears. She looked at the mirror and let a smile show at how well Clarke's jacket looked on her.</p>
<p>Indra smiled as she took notice of the jacket she was wearing. She knew who it belonged to and she knew why Lexa was wearing it. It provided her a small amount of comfort.</p>
<p>She moved to the bigger chair that had been set up in the tent in case she needed to meet with her generals. She sat down in the chair and took a couple of calming breaths while she schooled her face. Once she was ready she nodded at Indra to have the guards let the scout in.</p>
<p>The scout came in and knelt before her. She raised her hand for her to rise. She looked at the girl and saw that she had a small hint of fear behind her eyes. Lexa knew the look and she knew she had been spotted.</p>
<p>"<em>Chit ste em?"(What is it?)</em> she looked at the girl studying her and she could tell she was nervous.</p>
<p>"<em>Ai yu don a imfou kom Skaiheda."(I have a message from Skaiheda."</em> Lexa's heart started to beat faster.</p>
<p>"<em>Chit ste em?"(What is it?).</em> She nodded at the scout.</p>
<p>"<em>Tell heda, angel kom nat Skai ste alive en maun ste nou mou. Tell em angel na na leaving em metal prison today. Tell em dei de angel na na kom Tu companions heading gon em hou."(Tell Heda, the angel of the night sky is alive and the mountain is no more. Tell her the angel will be leaving her metal prison today. Tell her that the angel will be with two companions heading for her home.)</em></p>
<p>Lexa had to control the gasp and sigh of relief that threatened to escape. Clarke was alive and would be heading her way. She also was impressed by her choice in words and it made her heart flutter. She was proud that Clarke had taken the precautions necessary in case the scout had been captured.</p>
<p><em>"Indra na Yu lid in Aslena hir."(Indra can you bring Aslena here."</em> She raised an eyebrow but nodded and left leaving her alone with the scout.</p>
<p>"<em>Elanta, Chit Oso discuss nes does nou ban op hir."( Elanta what we discuss next does not leave here.)</em> She watched as the girl looked at her then stood straighter.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Sha Heda."</em>
</p>
<p><em>"Was em kei?"(Was she okay?")</em> She needed to know. It was killing her not knowing if her love was okay.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha. Em don been raun a battle based ona dried jus au raun em hair en ona em face"(Yes. She had been in a battle based on the dried blood in her hair and on her face.)</em> Her breath caught in her throat as her mind flashed back to the image she had seen earlier.</p>
<p>"<em>Yu don get a chek au em kru?"(Did you get a look at her people?)</em></p>
<p>"<em>Sha. Mous Ogeda kom emo were walking ba der were bida dei de were ste carried."(Yes. Almost all of them were walking but there were a few that were being carried.)</em> The more she learned the more she had questions. She would need to talk to Clarke when she arrived in Tondisi. She realized that she would need to be heading that way soon.</p>
<p><em>"Mochaf Elanta."</em> Just as she thanked the young scout, Indra walked in with Aslena.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Aslena was her most trusted scout among her generals. She had become one of her generals shortly after she had ascended. She had made a point to try and have a general from each of the twelve clans. She figured this would be a way to have multiple views from each of the clans when she would go over battle plans. She knew Aslena would be the perfect mentor for the young scout.</p>
<p><em>"Hei Aslena."</em> She stood and greeted her general.</p>
<p>"<em>Heda. Indra told Ai Yu requested Ai?"( Commander. Indra told me you requested me?)</em> She watched as Aslena looked over at the young scout and looked her over then looked back at her with an eyebrow raised.</p>
<p><em>"Sha Aslena. Don Yu found a Seken yet?"(Yes Aslena. Have you found a Second yet?)</em> She saw the recognition cross all three of the women in the room.</p>
<p><em>"Nou."</em> Aslena replied and once more looked at Elanta. She moved closer to the girl and walked around her. Lexa watched as the girl stood straight as a bored and tried to make herself seem worthy.</p>
<p><em>"Ai would like Yu gon lev op Elanta. She jos returned kom em fos solo mission ba was em was by someone bilaik ai consider an ally."(I would like you to train Elanta. She just returned from her first solo mission but was spotted. Thankfully it was by someone that I consider an ally.) </em>She watched as the young girls eyes came alive at the thought of having a mentor.</p>
<p><em>"Sha Heda."</em> Aslena turned to Elanta.</p>
<p><em>"Ai na nou make Disha easy gon Yu. Yu got lottau Disha gou en Ai na make sure em does nou happen again."(I will not make this easy for you. You got lucky this time and I will make sure it does not happen again.)</em> Lexa had to hide her smile because she knew that Aslena saw the potential in the young scout.</p>
<p>She had made Anya a promise to take care of her. Elanta was the younger sister of Anya and she had made her promise to care for her, if her fight would ever end. It was her duty to find the best possible mentor for her and she was proud that Aslena had agreed to do this. She knew this would be the best for her going forward and she had the perfect first mission for her to continue to learn on.</p>
<p><em>"Aslena en Elanta Ai yu don brana orders gon Yu both."(Aslena and Elanta I have new orders for you both.)</em> They both looked at her waiting for what she had to say.</p>
<p><em>"Ai na na expecting a visitor bilaik arriving raun Tondisi raun nes bida days. Emo na na leaving their camp later today. Ai gaf Yu Tu gon make sure emo make em gon Tondisi. Yu are gon ai raun en observe ba avoid contact. Ai laik sure Skaiheda na nou make dei de easy."(I will be expecting a visitor to be arriving in Tondisi in the next few days. They will be leaving their camp later today. I need you two to make sure they make it to Tondisi. You are to watch and observe but avoid contact. I am sure Skaiheda will not make that easy.)</em> She wanted to make sure Clarke did make it to her safely.</p>
<p><em>"Sha Heda."</em> They both agreed knowing that this person must be important to her for them to be on watch.</p>
<p>Aslena knew why this had been chosen for her first mission as a mentor. It was a low risk scouting mission and it would offer the best chance to teach her <em>Sekon</em>. She looked at Elanta and smiled inwardly. Anya would be proud of her sister and how quickly she was adapting. She remembered the day she found out Anya had died. Anya was like a sister to her. They had both become generals for Lexa around the same time and they had formed a bond. It was very common for them both to be sent out alone on missions together because they were the best duo Lexa had. They were efficient and always got Heda the information she needed.</p>
<p><em>"Aslena, Ai gaf in Yu gon work ona helping em kom em gonasleng as ena."(Aslena, I want to help her with her English as well)</em> Lexa knew this would be a valuable thing for her to continue to learn and expand her knowledge in.</p>
<p>"I will help her learn, <em>Heda</em>." Lexa nodded at her and looked at the pair.</p>
<p>"Good. Aslena do you remember where <em>Skaikru</em> has their camp?" She wanted to make sure before she sent them on their way.</p>
<p>"Yes. It will not take us long to reach there." Lexa nodded at them.</p>
<p>"Good. If you must make yourself known to <em>Skaiheda</em> then so be it. I have a feeling she will be on high alert along with the people she is traveling with. If I had to guess she will be traveling with <em>Linkon kom Trikru</em> and <em>Okteivia kom Skaikru</em>." She saw Aslena stiffen at the mention of Lincoln.</p>
<p>"<em>Heda</em>, why would she travel with that traitor?" She had expected this question.</p>
<p>"Lincoln is not long banished from our clan. He proved himself to be loyal to both <em>Skaiheda</em> and I. He saved both of our lives and has earned his place among us." Aslena nodded and Lexa knew it would take time for that to be accepted.</p>
<p>"You may take your leave. Make sure <em>Skaiheda</em> arrives in <em>Tondisi</em> safely." They both nodded at her and left her tent.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She made her way back to the table and took a seat. She needed to start getting ready to leave as well but she was starting to feel the lack of sleep. She looked around and saw Indra was studying her closely. If she was being honest she needed sleep but she had things to do.</p>
<p>"What is it Indra?" She had a sense of being in this same position many times before.</p>
<p>"<em>Heda</em>, it would be wise for us to be in Tondisi when she arrives. It is about a full day's walk from their camp to there. If she was to leave today she would arrive around midday tomorrow." Lexa knew she was right. It was nearing midday by her estimates. She wanted to do nothing more than to lay down and go to sleep but the thought of not being there when Clarke arrived made her stand up and start to put her paldron on over Clarke's jacket and she started equipping her weapons as well.</p>
<p>Indra watched as she started to slowly get herself back to Heda mode as she called it. She raised an eyebrow when she decided to forgo her normal longer jacket for Clarke's. She knew it was most likely due to a need for comfort but she was still getting used to how much Clarke meant to her. It took her about 5 minutes for all of her gear to be put situated correctly. She decided to wrap her head in one of her scarfs to try and hide the bags that were evident if anyone looked close enough.</p>
<p>Lexa looked at Indra and nodded. She left her tent to go meet the village leader and thank her for letting them use her village. She made her way to the village leader's hut and tried to gather as much of her remaining energy she had left. She had not been this close to passing out from pure exhaustion for a long time. Everything felt like it was slowing down and she knew she was going to have to focus on something to keep her going. Her mind wandered to her Natblida and how they would need to be filled in on what had happened with the mountain. Anytime she came back from extended travel, she would run each Natblida through what she was faced with to judge how they would have handled the situation. She used this to judge how well they were able to think with their mind and come to a solution they thought was the right one. She looked at the guards outside the leader's hut and they bowed and let her inside.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The meeting with the leader of the village did not take long at all. It went the same way most of her meetings with the villages went. They were grateful for her trusting them and she was always told that it was an honor for their village to be used by her and her army. She told the leader that in return for the use of her village she would send double of what their normal shipment from Polis was. The leader tried to refuse but Lexa insisted on doing this in return. The leader finally agreed but wanted her to spread out the amount over a longer period of time. They were a small village of 35 people and didn't require much. She agreed to spread out the extra amount over the coming months.</p>
<p>She left the leader's tent and made a quick announcement to the village that the mountain was no more. She told them that <em>Skaiheda</em> had slew the mountain. She heard the wispers of <em>Wanheda</em> as she headed to retrieve her horse and start her journey to Tondisi. She entered the stables and was met by two horses coming up to her. One was a solid white horse with a black mane. She had received this horse as a gift from the <em>Ingranrona(Pains Riders)</em> after she had convinced them to join the <em>Kongeda</em>. She had come to love this horse with all of her being and was surprised to find Clarke's horse standing right beside him. She let a small smile appear on her face as her memories of rides through the forest came flooding back to her mind. She held out a hand to the both of them to let them know who it was. Instantly they both whinnied in a greeting at her. She wrapped an arm around both of their necks and felt the weight of their heads on her shoulders. She let out a content sigh and wondered when this brought her relief.</p>
<p>Her mind was flooded with memories of Clarke and her riding through the forest talking about whatever was on their mind. Lexa wanted to further acquaint Clarke with the area that surrounded her camp. They had been out riding one day when they came across what Clarke had called a zoo. It was just a few miles away from Tondisi and they had stumbled upon it while out on a scouting mission for reapers, at least that was their cover. She shuddered at the memory of their encounter with the Pauna. They had barely made it back to their horses that day. She chuckled at the memory of her misjudging her jump and dislocating her shoulder. She had told Clarke to go on without her but she should have known that her love was going to be stubborn. Clarke had pulled her with her as they tried to find a way out and luckily they had managed to trap the beast and escape. That was the first time she had seen the fearlessness she loved about Clarke, besides when she came into my tent for the first time she had to remind herself.</p>
<p>She gave both of the horses pats on their neck and went to saddle her horse. She would need to have one of the <em>Gonas</em> bring Clarke's saddle with them. She was not going to saddle the horse with anything but a rope to lead it with. She wanted to make sure that Clarke would have her horse when she arrived in Tondisi. Once she made sure everything was in order she asked Indra to bring one of the people they rescued from the mountain.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It took about five minutes for the said person to come walking towards her with Indra. She turned when Indra spoke and looked at the warrior. She had to hide the mistrust when she laid eyes on her. She had a plan to keep this warrior on her side from here on out and maybe just maybe she could reunite her with the man that had helped her escape.</p>
<p>"<em>Heda</em>." The warrior said to her with a gruffness behind her words</p>
<p><em>"Echo kom Azgeda. Walk kom ai."</em> She saw Indra give her a look of concern but she just shook her head. She needed to have some trust for her plan to work. She turned and went into the stables not even waiting for her to follow.</p>
<p>Echo didn't know what to think of <em>Heda</em>. Growing up in Azgeda she had been told by Nia that she was not the true leader of their people. She believed her blindly because it was the easy thing to do and it kept her alive. She was <em>Azgeda's</em> most ruthless assassin and had been there when the commander's love had been taken and executed. She had been the one to try and get any information out of her and it had started to change something in her when she realized that she knew nothing about the commander.</p>
<p>She knew that rumors had spread that she had been the one to kill her but it wasn't so. Only three people knew the truth about her death and it was secret that they all had sworn to keep it between them. The last she had seen of her was when she had left her cell to go tell the queen it was done. She had thrown herself into whatever mission she had been given to keep herself away from anything that had to deal with the commander. Her best friend Roan had been sent with the head of Costia to the commander and she was surprised to learn that instead of attacking Azgeda, she took Roan prisoner and accepted Azgeda as the last clan in the Kongeda.</p>
<p>She pulled herself out of her thoughts and followed the commander sliding a glance at Indra. She caught the death glare being thrown at her and knew where it was coming from. She didn't blame her either after all of the <em>Trikru</em> blood that was on her hands. She turned her head back forward and made her way into the stables not knowing what laid in front of her.</p>
<p>She walked in the main entrance way and locked eyes with the commander. She was standing with her back to a post in the middle of the walk way. She had one foot propped behind her on the pole and she was playing with one of her daggers. Her immediate instincts had her reaching her hand for one of her daggers not in a motion to attack but to ground herself. Echo was not one to be nervous but she was still not at her full strength, after weeks of being in the mountain on the brink of death by acting weak so she would not be harvested.</p>
<p>"<em>Yu would na wise gon listen fou Yu act."( You would be wise to listen before you act.)</em> Echo stilled her approach as she was a few feet in front of the commander. She knew about her prowess with her throwing knives. She gave a nod and a bow just to be careful.</p>
<p><em>"Ai yu don a deal gon Yu. Ai gaf bilaik skills gon Disha hana. Taim Yu dula op Disha gon Ai Yu na na pardoned kom eni kripon Yu Yu don committed en na na welcomed ona Ai circle."(I have a deal for you. I need your skills for this task. If you do this for me then you will be pardoned of any crime you committed and will be welcomed into my circle.)</em> She tried to hide the confusion and shock from appearing on her face. What could the commander need her for that was important enough for her to receive a full pardon and be able to join her small circle. She had so many questions circling in her head that she almost missed what the commander said next.</p>
<p><em>"Ai nou offer Disha lightly gon bilaik foutaim ba Belomi trusted Yu inside Maunde."(I do not offer this lightly because of your past but Bellamy trusted you inside the mountain.)</em> She sucked in a breath at the mention of the Sky boy that had kept his promise to her. She was not used to someone actually keeping their word to her and it had left an impression on her.</p>
<p><em>"Ste chit Belomi don biyo true? Na Yu na trusted o are Yu still badan klin bilaik haiplana?"(Is what Bellamy said true? Can you be trusted or are you still loyal to your queen?)</em> She thought for a moment about what she was being offered.</p>
<p>Her loyalty was not to her queen but to her people and to the two people she considered family. She had stayed by the queens side for so long because she would have been labeled a traitor just as Roan was. She felt like she had an obligation to uphold for someone back in Azgeda but they all had agreed if they saw an opportunity to escape, take it and don't look back. Roan had taken the bullet to deliver the head to the commander and from what she had last heard he was still alive as a prisoner but free to roam Polis. She didn't know what to expect next from the woman in front of her. She had walked in here expecting to be executed on sight.</p>
<p><em>"Sha Heda. Ai badannes has always been gon Ai kru fou Azplana. Chit dula op Yu require kom Ai?"(My loyalty has always been to my people before the ice queen. What do you require of me?)</em> She went down to one knee and bowed her head. She saw this as her way out and was willing to take a chance.</p>
<p>Lexa was impressed but not surprised. Over the years since Costia had died and Roan had shown up claiming to have been the one to kill her, she had gotten plenty of details from him. She had kept him as a prisoner at first but then had decided it would be wise to slowly turn him against his own mother. She had offered him a deal to become a secret advisor in exchange for his safety in her walls. She was shocked that he had agreed so quickly. As time went by and Azgeda was brought into the <em>Kongeda</em>, she had gotten to know the prince. He had proven to be a valued ally and had mentioned that if she ever came across Echo to do everything she could to bring her close to her.</p>
<p>She knew that a spy would always be a spy and that they could never fully be trusted. She had heard rumors that the most feared <em>Azgedian</em> spy had gone rouge and disappeared. She would never forget that Echo was supposedly the one that took Costia from her but with Roan claiming to have done it as well, she knew something had happened and they were in on it together. She needed both of them on her side and to trust her so one day she could finally get closure on the loss of her first love.</p>
<p><em>"Gyon op Echo kom Azgeda. Yu are aware dei de once word kom bilaik badannes gon Ai reached Azplana she na label Yu as a natrona en Yu na nou na bak op as long as she kik raun."(Rise Echo of the ice people. You are aware that once word of your loyalty to me reached the ice queen she will label you as a traitor and you can never go back as long as she lives.)</em> Those words hit her like a <em>Pauna</em> but she had made her choice.</p>
<p><em>"Sha Heda."</em> She said as she bowed her head in agreement.</p>
<p>"Good. Now your task is to infiltrate the <em>Skaikru</em> camp and integrate yourself there. I have suspicions about their Chancellor and need someone on the inside to gather me information. I do not care how you do this or what you say to accomplish this." She looked up at the commander and tried to process what she was being told and why they suddenly switched to <em>Gonasleng</em>.</p>
<p>"I do not know what your relationship with Bellamy is nor do I care. I am offering you a chance to prove yourself to me. They have taken in one of our people before and if you find Bellamy first he should welcome you inside." Echo knew it was rare to be given a second chance for a spy and she knew that this was the only one she would be receiving.</p>
<p>"If you leave now you may be able to catch up to <em>Skaikru</em> before they reach their camp. I would be prepared for them to be uneasy and quick to react." Her mind was already racing as to how she would approach the jumpy sky people.</p>
<p><em>"Sha Heda en Mochaf Heda."</em> She bowed and turned to leave but stilled when she heard the commander's voice.</p>
<p>"<em>Dula op nou make Ai regret Disha Echo kom Azgeda. Dison laik bilaik Won chance gon change bilaik life."(Do not make me regret this Echo of the ice people. This is your one chance to change your life.)</em> She turned her head and looked back at the commander.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Heda."</em> She saw her nod at her and took that as her cue to leave.</p>
<p>Lexa watched as she left the stables and held her gaze till she was out of sight. She let out the breath she had been holding and hoped she had made the right call. She was putting a lot of faith in Roan and Bellamy that this woman could be trusted. She was also testing her to see how good she actually was. Her best scout was out there with her <em>Sekon</em> and she knew that they might cross paths before Echo reached Clarke.</p>
<p>She pushed herself off of the pole and put the dagger back in its sheath on her waist. She made her way out of the stable and was not surprised to be met by Indra. It seemed like everywhere she went her general would be there but she could not complain it was her job. She saw the raised eyebrow and just nodded at her as she made her way back to the horses. She knew at some point she would be questioned if she could trust Echo.</p>
<p>"We shall leave now Indra. I have no more business to attend to her. Tell which warriors that are leaving with us to start heading for Tondisi." She pulled herself up on her horse and made sure the rope that she would be using to lead Clarke's horse back with her was secure.</p>
<p>Indra nodded and quickly went to do that as Gustus appeared next to her on his own horse. It never ceased to amaze her that as one general left another would be there to keep her guarded. She looked over at the man that had become more of a father figure towards her and she let a small smile show. He nodded at her and they started heading out of the stables toward her favorite village.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Echo POV</strong>
</p>
<p>She was still trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened as she made her way to the <em>Skaikru</em>. This was her opportunity for a new lease on life and she was surprised that she had lived long enough to get it. A part of her was nervous at the prospect of being around <em>Skaikru</em> but she honestly was trying to figure out what had transpired between her and <em>Belomi</em> inside the mountain. Her first interaction with the man had not gone so well. She spit in his face when she thought he was one of the one of the mountain men. After that she had watched as he sacrificed himself for harvesting when she was to be taken.</p>
<p>She had never seen someone who didn't know her willingly take her place. It was so foreign of a concept to her that it shocked her to her core. Once he had been freed and she watched as he fought the guard in a weakened state that she made the choice to save him. She remembered how he had helped her and when she saw her opportunity she struck. She grabbed the man's arm from her cage and tried to buy him time to kill this man. She was glad it did not take long and once it was done that was when he promised her that he would come back for her. She honestly didn't believe him but she was proven wrong when he did and told her about the army outside.</p>
<p>From that point on it was a whirlwind for her. She was walking out of the mountain and heading somewhere. She arrived at a village and <em>Heda</em> had made sure that they all were checked by the <em>Fisas</em>. It was so different from what she had come to know that she just tried to keep her mind right. She had no idea what day it was or what else had happened. She had been able to gather some information when she was able but it was nothing of use.</p>
<p>She was pulled out of her mind as she heard the thunk of an arrow hit the tree beside her as she was walking. She stilled and drew her weapon trying to locate where it came from. She had maybe been outside of the village for not more than an hour. She scanned the trees and saw what she was looking for. She slowly raised her hands trying to signal that she did not want to fight. She had no time for this but she was still regaining all of her strength.</p>
<p>She watched as two people leap from the lowest branch of two different trees. One was closer to her age while the other was still a young one. She stood still trying to figure out how this was going to go. She wanted nothing more than to go on the attack and escape to get to her destination faster but as the older woman got closer she recognized her face. It was one of the more well known generals in the commander's army.</p>
<p><em>"Yu are far kom hou Azgeda"(You are far from home Ice person.)</em> She could hear the distaste in the woman's voice.</p>
<p>"<em>Ai hofli na Azgeda ba Ai laik ona a mission gon Heda."(I may be ice person but I am on a mission for the commander.)</em> She wanted to avoid giving away as much detail as possible.</p>
<p><em>"Gon Heda Yu biyo? Where are Yu heading?"(For the commander you say? Where are you heading?)</em> She saw the eyebrow raise as she was asked. Her eyes kept looking back and forth between the two women.</p>
<p><em>"Ona orders kom Heda, Ai laik heading ga Skaikru camp."(On orders from the commander, I am heading for the sky people camp.)</em> she watched the confusion come of the face of the younger woman.</p>
<p>"Why would Heda send an Azgeda spy to Skaikru?" It was her turn to raise her eyebrow and the switch to <em>Gonasleng</em>.</p>
<p>"She wants me to keep and eye on someone there and the best way to do that is from the inside. <em>Skaikru</em> has taken one of us in before and once I talk to one of the <em>Skaikru</em> I should be fine." she knew she may be giving away too much here but the less people that stopped her the better. She was surprised by what happened next. The woman in front of her sheathed her weapons and walked forward and stuck her arm out to her.</p>
<p>"I am A<em>slena kom Sankru</em>, and this is <em>Elanta kom Trikru</em>." Echo grasped the woman's arm taking this as a sign that she would not have to fight today.</p>
<p>"I am <em>Echo kom Azgeda.</em> Why would you be out this way? Are you not one of Heda's generals?" it was time for her to get some information.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>. <em>Heda</em> sent us to make sure that someone arrives in Tondisi safely. It looks like we are heading the same direction." Echo wondered who from <em>Skaikru</em> would be coming to Tondisi that would require a high ranking general and a second to escort them.</p>
<p>"Well it is best that we met now and not when I approached them. How far away are we?" she was honestly glad this turned out like this. If she was being honest she really wanted to try and not kill first and ask questions later. Her old way of doing things just left too much blood on her hands and she was starting to tire from the endless blood that ran.</p>
<p>"Not far from what my <em>Sekon</em> has told me. She was the one that watched them come out of the mountain and saw how the leader of <em>Skaikru</em> led her people out of the mountain covered in their blood." She saw the confusion flash across the young girl and she realized that she was not used to how news can spread.</p>
<p>"So the mountain is no more?" she asked Elanta.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>. From what I could see the only people that came out were <em>Skaikru</em> and their leader did something to the door that sealed it from the outside." she looked up at the sky and saw the sun was almost to its peak.</p>
<p>"Well it seems this leader of <em>Skaikru</em> is more than we expected. It seems like she needs a new title wouldn't you think Aslena?" Echo had heard about this sky girl that had burned 300 Trikru alive without a second thought and how she turned the reapers back to men. It seemed like she was able to control death itself.</p>
<p>"Do you really think that she is worthy of such a title? You know it has been a long time since someone had been called that." Aslena had heard the murmurings about Clarke and the name that was starting to float around the lands. She was starting to gain a reputation as someone that controlled death. She stared it in the face and conquered it. She knew that once word of the mountain being slain would only cause this name to ring true.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>, think of how she was able to bring people back from being <em>Ripa</em> and all of the people she had slain. I think <em>Wanheda</em> belongs to her." Echo knew what came with the name but until she said it she wasn't sure.</p>
<p>"Well let us not speak of this till I tell <em>Heda</em>. It won't take long for that name to spread and someone will want that power." She knew exactly who Aslena was talking about. <em>Azplana</em> was power hungry and once she found out she hoped this sky girl was ready.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>. Shall we?" Echo asked as she turned to walk away.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>." Aslena fell in step beside Echo as they picked up the pace to reach <em>Skaikru</em>.</p>
<p>Aslena knew exactly who was beside her. She knew every tale that there was to be told about the assassin from Azgeda. What puzzled her more is why <em>Heda</em> would trust this woman with a task of this magnitude. It was the first time in a long time she questioned the commander and it did nothing to settle her nerves.</p>
<p>They walked in silence for another hour before they caught the first sighting of Skaikru. They were walking at a slow pace and if she had to estimate it would take them another hour to reach their camp. Aslena started to adjust their course so they stayed hidden but could watch them closely. She steered them to where they were walking even with the back of the group and signaled to Echo that this would be where they parted ways.</p>
<p>Echo knew that it was her time to make herself known. She took a breath and nodded at the two women she came across as she started walking in a diagonal line heading for <em>Skaikru</em>. She mentally prepared herself for whatever was going to come next as she broke through the tree line.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Clarke POV</strong>
</p>
<p>The walk back to camp had gone smoothly so far. Every once in a while they would have to stop and let her people rest. They had been walking for a couple of hours when she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up once more. She reached up and unsheathed her sword.</p>
<p>Octavia and Bellamy heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn and they turned to see Clarke had stilled with her sword in her hand looking towards the woods. Instantly Octavia was at her side weapon drawn while Bellamy quickly went to Lincoln and told him what was going on. All of the guards surrounded the rest of the people while Bellamy and Lincoln came beside Clarke.</p>
<p>"What is it Clarke?" Octavia asked, scanning the tree line.</p>
<p>"I have no idea but someone is coming." There was a calm to her voice that made them all realize whatever it was had her on guard.</p>
<p>They watched as a lone grounder broke through the tree line. Clarke stared down this person while Octavia gripped her sword tighter. Bellamy was stunned there was no way she was her now. Lincoln couldn't believe his eyes either.</p>
<p>"Why is she here?" Clarke heard Bellamy ask.</p>
<p>"Who is she?" She turned to look at the man.</p>
<p>"I can't be sure but trust me on this one. I'll be back." Before she could react Bellamy took off toward the woman.</p>
<p>Octavia started after him but Clarke stuck her arm out and shook her head at her. They needed to trust Bellamy and be ready in case things went sideways. She watched as her brother greeted the woman like he knew her. They talked for a moment before he turned and they headed their way. She raised an eyebrow because for the first time since they came down here, her brother had a pep in his step.</p>
<p>Clarke saw the change in him and she was shocked. He looked relieved but she was still on guard. She had come to hate surprises and the woman gave off nothing but bad vibes.</p>
<p>Bellamy came to a halt in front of them and looked at all of them and raised an eyebrow when he saw they still had their weapons drawn.</p>
<p>"Clarke, put your weapon away. This is the woman I met inside the mountain and she saved my life. This is <em>Echo kom Azgeda</em>." He heard them all suck in a breath and he watched as they all tightened their grip on their swords. He moved in front of the woman not knowing what was going on.</p>
<p>Clarke stepped forward and looked Bellamy dead in the eyes. He saw a fire behind her eyes and he could tell she was not happy. He was confused as to his knowledge Clarke had never met this woman.</p>
<p>"Bellamy, move now. She is not to be trusted. She is a spy and an assassin for Azgeda." He heard how her voice dropped and how every word was laced with venom.</p>
<p>"<em>Krei Yu get in chon Ai laik?"(So you know who I am.)</em> Echo spoke from behind him.</p>
<p><em>"Sha. Chomouda are Yu hir? dula op nou lie gon Ai."(Yes. Why are you here? Do not lie to me.)</em> Clarke knew she had to be careful letting too many people know she had become fluent in Trigedasleng but she didn't want Bellamy to hear anything yet.</p>
<p>"<em>Ai yu don orders kom Heda gon glong op bilaik camp en ai raun bilaik chancellor.(I have orders from the commander to join your camp and watch your chancellor.)</em> Clarke pondered if she could trust this information. She remembered how Lexa had tensed up when they were first told of this woman.</p>
<p>She knew Lexa would not send someone to their camp without knowing they would be stopped first. She was quickly realizing she had a lot to talk about with her love. She looked at Octavia and Lincoln and made a movement with her head that told them to follow.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They moved away out of earshot but she also knew that grounders had impeccable hearing. She looked at the two of them and saw the same look of confusion and mistrust.</p>
<p>"What do you two think? I know you understood what we spoke about." She still had not relaxed her grip on her sword. It had become an anchor and she now understood why the grounders always had their hand on their weapon.</p>
<p>"She says she was sent by <em>Heda</em> but we were all there when Lexa was told about her. Why would she send someone that she said not to trust?" Octavia was on the same thought process as her.</p>
<p>"<em>Heda</em> must have a plan and a reason for doing this. Bellamy seems to trust her but he doesn't know her like any of my people do. I fear that she will do something to start a war if we are not careful. The last I had heard she was loyal to <em>Azplana</em>." Lincoln spoke and she saw the unanswered question written on his face.</p>
<p>"Well I can't go against Lexa's orders if I still want us to have an alliance. This just has me on edge and I don't like it. For all I know she could be here to handle my mother before I do." She heard Octavia let out a small chuckle but then quickly catch herself.</p>
<p>"We will need to have someone watch her closely. I know your brother can be rash and head strong but we both know something changed when he saw her." They both looked back at Bellamy and saw the Echo was still watching them but had relaxed just a little and was talking to him.</p>
<p>"I have to think that he would keep an eye on her maybe better than anyone else by the way he reacted. We don't know what happened in the mountain caused him to trust her. It is your call Clarke." Octavia was still studying her brother as she spoke.</p>
<p>She was trying to think of the last time she had seen him like this and she really couldn't place it. She had seen him obviously with the girls that came down here with them but something just seemed different this time.</p>
<p>"Okay. She can come but we need to make it very clear to him that she is under his watch and he is responsible for her."</p>
<p><em>"Sha Skaiheda"</em> she smiled at the response she received from both of them.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They made their way back over to the pair and she locked eyes with Echo. She was trying to put as much of her distrust and skepticism in her gaze as she could while keeping her face impassive.</p>
<p>"Bellamy, can we trust her?" She wanted to see how much he actually believed in her.</p>
<p>"Clarke I wouldn't be vouching for her if I didn't believe we could. Like I said she saved my life inside the mountain." She could tell he was hiding something but she had to trust him.</p>
<p>"Okay. She is your responsibility." He nodded at her.</p>
<p><em>"Echo kom Azgeda</em> if what you say is true then you can come with us." She moved past Bellamy and was now face to face with her.</p>
<p>"<em>Taim Yu betray Heda o Ai, Ai nou gifa in chon Yu are. Yu na na marked by Wanheda."(If you betray the commander or me, I do not care who you are. You will be marked by Wanheda.)</em> Clarke had let <em>Wanheda</em> seep slowly through her as she spoke. She saw the realization hit her. She let loose a small smile while still staring daggers at the woman.</p>
<p><em>"Sha Wanheda."</em> Echo gave her a small nod and a bow and now Clarke felt like her message had been sent.</p>
<p>She sheathed her sword and turned to look at the other three. She saw Lincoln's shock first then confusion on Octavia's face, Bellamy looked worried. She nodded at Lincoln and gave him a look that she would explain later.</p>
<p>"Okay it's time to continue back to Camp Jaha." She announced as she made her way back to the group to find Kane.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Everyone started to head toward camp as she came up beside Kane. She needed to let him know what was going on. She had one of the guards take his place carrying her mother. He nodded and came back to where she was at the back.</p>
<p>They slowed their walk to where they were behind everyone else and out of earshot. She still was watching Echo and Bellamy closely trying to gauge what was exactly going on.</p>
<p>"I see we have picked up someone else." He had watched what had gone down between the group and was more curious than surprised.</p>
<p>"Her name is <em>Echo kom Azgeda.</em>" He flinched at the memory of the discussion in Raven's shop.</p>
<p>"So that is the woman the commander was worried about." Clarke nodded at him.</p>
<p>"I trust Lexa, I just haven't got a read on her yet. I need you to keep an eye on her as well. She has been sent to watch my mother." She saw the intake of breath and the shock on his face.</p>
<p>"How much does the commander actually know about our camp?" She had been waiting for him to ask again.</p>
<p>"She knows everything I know." He looked at her again trying to read why this was the case.</p>
<p>"Is that safe. I know she has helped us tremendously but she left us there Clarke." She was surprised that he would be the one to bring that up.</p>
<p>"Kane there is something you need to know." She really didn't want to have this talk right now but it was becoming harder to justify Lexa's decisions if the people she wanted to trust were in the dark.</p>
<p>"What is it Clarke?" She recognized where they were and she knew over the next hill was Camp Jaha.</p>
<p>"Lexa and I planned for what happened. I am the one that told her if she was offered a deal to take it. I knew that once we took out everything they would be desperate." She took a calming breath as she laid a hand on the dagger at her waist.</p>
<p>"It hurt me to watch her walk away but I knew she made that choice with her head. I know this will cause some discourse and mistrust with our people but I need you to try and keep everyone in line." He looked at her again.</p>
<p>"Where will you be?"</p>
<p>"I will be leaving with Octavia and Lincoln. I am going to Tondisi to meet with the commander. I will be gone for two weeks at the least." She weighed her next words carefully.</p>
<p>"Kane, what I tell you next needs to be kept to yourself. Only a handful of people know because it was necessary." He nodded at her seeing how this was weighing on her.</p>
<p>"Lexa and I are together."</p>
<p>"Well I thought there was something going on between you two. Raven and I had talked about it and came to the conclusion that you would tell us when we needed to know." She saw the smile on his face.</p>
<p>"Who else knows?"</p>
<p>"Octavia, Indra and Monty. Octavia and Indra know because they are our generals and they needed to know to be able to protect us better. Monty just found out and it just kind of happened." She remembered that she needed to fill Kane in on what she had asked of Monty.</p>
<p>"Speaking of Monty. He has been told to help you wherever you need it. He knows what is going on now." Kane nodded at her as they heard the collective sigh of relief come from everyone as they crested the hill.</p>
<p>"When will you be leaving?" He asked as they started to pick up their pace.</p>
<p>"Shortly after everyone is inside. I want to get to Tondisi as quickly as possible." She said, a little too excited.</p>
<p>"It will take about a day and a half to get there. I know I should stay and make sure we are good but I need to make sure we still have this alliance." He saw her word for what they were. She needed to see the one person she cared for.</p>
<p>"I'll do what I can Clarke. Promise me that you will take at least a radio with you so if anything arises I can contact you." She smiled at him.</p>
<p>"Already planned on it." he nodded at her and made his way back up by Abby.</p>
<p>Clarke made her way beside Octavia as they started to come closer to the gates of Camp Jaha. She was glad that her people were safe but the cost of it started to creep into her mind again. She knew that leaving for a couple weeks was the best thing for her.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Gates of Camp Jaha</strong>
</p>
<p>Clarke took her time as she watched everyone enter Camp Jaha. She still hated that name but she would get to it later. She had told Octavia to make sure that everyone got inside and that she would wait for them by the gates. She couldn't step inside without seeing all of the pain she had caused her people. She knew that only maybe a handful of her people wouldn't understand why she had pulled that lever causing mass genocide but she would deal with that in two weeks.</p>
<p>She looked over and saw Bellamy and Echo still waiting outside the gates with her. She was still confused by what was going on between them but if she had to guess Bellamy had a thing for this woman. She walked over to them and had to hide the smirk at how quickly they stepped away from each other.</p>
<p>"Clarke, I thought you would have gone inside by now?" She saw the faint hint of red on his cheeks. Yup he likes this woman she thought.</p>
<p>"I am not going to go in, Bellamy. I can't without seeing the consequences of my choices. I am going to go to Tondisi for two weeks and help <em>Heda</em> in anyway I can." She saw the emotions wash over his face.</p>
<p>"You are going to where that traitor is? She left you to die outside that door. Hell she left all of us to die." She watched as he started to get angry and was surprised when Echo pulled him aside. She waited patiently and was amazed that when he stepped back in front of her he was calmer.</p>
<p>"I am sorry Clarke. I just don't fully understand. Echo says that the commander had to think of what was best for her people is that true?" She threw a side glance at Echo and she just nodded. This woman was still a mystery to her.</p>
<p>"Yes Bellamy. Believe it or not The commander and I planned for something like that to come up. We discussed the possibility of one of us being offered a deal and I made the call that it would be better for her to take the deal. She has way more people's interests to watch out for than I do." She took a breath before she continued.</p>
<p>"The commander leaving still hurt yes but I have accepted why she did it and I moved on. We still were able to accomplish our goal of bringing down the mountain." She went to speak again but was stopped by Echo.</p>
<p>"You say the mountain is no more <em>Skaiheda</em>, but how can my people be sure." she heard the audible gulp come from her when she glared at the woman letting a little dose of her <em>Wanheda</em> side show.</p>
<p>"If your people need proof I will gladly show them the 350 bodies all lying in a mass pile with burns all over their faces. The mountain is no more and I will carry the burden of ending innocent lives because their leaders chose to harvest both of our peoples." Bellamy and Echo both took a step back at her voice.</p>
<p>"I may be new to the ground Echo but that does not mean my hands are clean." She gripped the hilt of her dagger trying to control her emotions.</p>
<p>"I meant no disrespect, <em>Skaiheda</em>. It's just our people were long gone by the time you exited the mountain." She knew Echo was right and she needed a way to prove that the mountain was no more.</p>
<p>"Just remember you are on thin ice. I still do not fully trust you." Echo nodded and took a step closer to Bellamy.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you know that if you need forgiveness we can give that to you here." She turned back to him.</p>
<p>"I am not looking for forgiveness. I have taken steps to make sure you all are being taken care of when I am away. Part of the reason I am going to <em>Tondisi</em> is to further negotiate how we can help both of our peoples. The winter season is coming and honestly we are not remotely close to being ready for it." She saw Echo nod in agreement with her.</p>
<p>"I can't accomplish the things that need done if I stay here." She turned and looked at the gates once more.</p>
<p>"So that is it huh. You are just going to leave us with no help and no guidance after leading us to this point?" she heard the hurt behind his words and a slight bit of anger.</p>
<p>"Bellamy you have to trust me that I know what I am doing. We have made many mistakes because we did not trust each other." She saw the grief wash over him.</p>
<p>"I know Clarke but I need you here to help me..us continue to thrive." she saw the desperation on his face and she saw the raised eyebrow of Echo.</p>
<p>"Bellamy we could run around this same tree all day and that won't change anything. This is what is best for all of us." She turned to Echo.</p>
<p>"I know that you have orders from <em>Heda</em>, but I need you to do something for me." Bellamy's eyebrow raised at this news.</p>
<p>"What would you require of me?' Echo asked.</p>
<p>"I need you to train him to fight, hunt and anything else you can think of. Then start expanding the training to all of the guards. We eventually will run out of bullets and we will need more ways to hunt." She could tell Echo was taken back by this.</p>
<p>"I thought you didn't trust me?" She saw the smirk on her face.</p>
<p>"You are right I don't but my only other options are leaving with me and I have a feeling that you are looking for a way to prove that I can trust you." She threw a smirk at her reaction and knew she was right.</p>
<p>"I can handle that. Plus I think I will get a lot of enjoyment out of kicking <em>Skaikru's</em> ass in training." Clarke for the first time since she met the woman let out a laugh.</p>
<p>"I am sure you will, just try to avoid injuring them too much. I know how you guys are about your training methods." Echo just nodded and smiled.</p>
<p>"Well Clarke it seems that your mind is made up. Is there anything else I should know before my sister gets back with who you requested?" She thought very carefully about this. How much could she trust Bellamy with before he made a rash decision. She was hoping having Echo train him, he would stay clear of her mother.</p>
<p>"The only thing I should warn you about is my mother. She will want to know where I have gone and will most likely try to rally our people to come "Rescue" me. You know where I am going and why. I need you to work with Kane and keep her under control." She was taking a chance on him and she was hoping it was the right one.</p>
<p>"I can do that. I remember what she was like before I went into the mountain." He turned to look at Echo.</p>
<p>"Can you give us a moment?" she nodded and made her way to look at what was left of the training ground.</p>
<p>"Clarke, I know you won't believe this but I think your mother was hoping to shove us together." Clarke felt the words hit her like a train. She felt sick at the notion not because Bellamy wasn't attractive but at the fact that she saw him more like a brother.</p>
<p>"Well I hope you can understand that will never happen. I am sorry Bellamy but I love you like a brother. You are my friend and I need it to stay that way." She saw the smirk show on his face.</p>
<p>"I kind of figured that. I won't lie but I did start to fall for you a little since our fighting days on the ark." She blanched at the memory he caused to reappear. She had not thought about the training he ran her through in years. She knew then that it was best for her to leave.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you good?" He asked not remembering how she changed because of him. She couldn't stop herself before she was in his face seething.</p>
<p>"Bellamy, don't ever bring that up again. I hope you quickly lose whatever hope you had for us because I will tell you now you are nothing more than a brother to me. I have not forgotten the shape you left me in that night." She saw the fear come over his face.</p>
<p>"Clarke, you know I didn't mean for it to get that far. I am sorry." She saw a flash of grief come over him.</p>
<p>"It doesn't matter Bellamy. You ran that fight club and when we went at it you left me helpless because you knew where I was weak. I chose to trust you when we came down here but if you bring it up again we will have round 2 and I promise you It won't end the same." She knew she needed to calm down.</p>
<p>"Understood Clarke, I apologize. You are right it was my fault and I won't bring it up anymore. I will focus on what you assigned me." she felt the rage melt at his words and she read his face and saw a genuine remorse written all over it.</p>
<p>"Thank you. Plus I think she would be better for you anyway." She laughed at his reaction of how quickly she went back to joking with him.</p>
<p>"Remind me not to piss you off." She heard Raven say as she approached them.</p>
<p>"How much did you see and hear?" She turned to the mechanic.</p>
<p>"Only enough to know that Bellamy is a dumb ass and seems to forget that he wasn't the only one that took part in those fights, that is here on the ground." She flashed Raven a smirk and nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Anyway I was told you needed to see me?" She nodded and turned back to Bellamy quickly.</p>
<p>"Go on lover boy. Go help our guest with whatever she is doing over there." Raven raised her eyebrow and looked between the two of them and the woman at the training area.</p>
<p>"I think I will and Clarke I am sorry again. I fucked up and I hope to be able to make it up to you." She just nodded at him as he took off to help Echo.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"So Bellamy has a crush huh?" She smirked at Raven and pulled her into a hug.</p>
<p>"I am glad you are alive Raven. Did you find Wick?" Raven nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Yeah I did. I am going to kill him though. What was he thinking doing that?" She laughed at the tone of her friend.</p>
<p>"Just wait till he is healed. We still could use him no matter how much of a pain in the ass he is." Raven chuckled.</p>
<p>"Amen Clarke. Now what did you need me for?"</p>
<p>"I am taking one of your radios. I am leaving for <em>Tondisi</em> with Octavia and Lincoln. I have told Monty what is going on and he agreed to help you and Kane. Bellamy knows to not trust my mother but that is all." She saw the raised eyebrow and sighed.</p>
<p>"I am hoping that with Echo here and Bellamy being on guard she won't try anything. I have Echo keeping Bellamy busy by training him then she is going to train our guards." She saw Octavia, Lincoln, Monty and Kane heading her way.</p>
<p>"You don't trust either of them do you." She followed Raven's gaze and saw that Bellamy was trying to follow along with what Echo was needing.</p>
<p>"Echo is a big fat no. Bellamy on the other hand is more complicated. I know my mother will try to use him against me. I am hoping if he is distracted with Echo he wont give her the time of the day." Raven chuckled but was impressed.</p>
<p>"I mean look at him Clarke, he is following her like a lost puppy. You shouldn't have to worry about him anytime soon. As for your mother I think she won't try anything for a while. She needs time to heal." Clarke nodded and turned back towards the gates as she heard multiple footsteps approaching.</p>
<p>"Raven is right Clarke, she will be in Med bay for at least a week according to Jackson." Clarke smiled at the fact that she would have a least a week free of worry for the most part.</p>
<p>"Good to know. Kane once I arrive in <em>Tondisi</em> I will see if I can't have The commander send some of her warriors to help Echo in training our people to fight and hunt. She had told me that the winter season is fast approaching and we aren't ready for that kind of weather." Kane smiled at her.</p>
<p>"I am sure you will do everything you can Clarke. Now what did you need from us before you left?" she looked at all of them gathered and let out a sigh of relief as he shoulder relaxed.</p>
<p>"I need you to work with Monty and Raven to come up with a way to convert that lake over there into a power source. If we can come up with a way to do that we can run more power and expand outside of those damn walls." Everyone chuckled at her words.</p>
<p>"I think we can look into that. Do you know how far we can expand?" Kane asked knowing they were still in Trikru land.</p>
<p>"No yet no. That is one of the things I will be bringing up to the commander and as soon as I know I will radio you and let you know." He nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Besides that just keep and eye on my mother and if anything suspicious happens radio me as soon as you can. I will try to get some Trikru here quickly but until then stock up on food and start building shelter. Our people have been confined to that damn metal prison for too long." The younger group nodded their heads and laughed.</p>
<p>"I will make sure we do just that <em>Skaiheda</em>." She smiled and nodded at him.</p>
<p>"Then that is all I can think of for now. I will see you all in two weeks if nothing goes wrong." She hugged Raven then Monty then Kane before she looked at Octavia and Lincoln.</p>
<p>"Did you get what I asked for?" Octavia nodded still unsure as to why she had been asked to gather paint from anywhere she could find it.</p>
<p>"Good." She looked up at the sun and saw that it was just past its peak for the day. She shook her head and looked back at the people she trusted lead in her absence.</p>
<p>"I hate to cut and run but we need to get as far as we can before nightfall."</p>
<p>"That would be wise <em>Skaiheda</em>, especially with the stop you want to make before then." Lincoln said.</p>
<p>"Then I guess we will see you in two weeks. Safe travels Clarke and may we meet again." Kane grasped her arm like her would Trikru.</p>
<p>"May we meet again." She nodded at him and they turned to leave.</p>
<p>Clarke waved at Bellamy and Echo as they passed leaving Camp Jaha in her rear view for now. She wanted to get to her pit stop quickly before they continued toward Tondisi. She needed to do something after Echo words rang in her mind. She was going to make sure everyone knew who slew that mountain and that she was not to be messed with.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Outside the door of Mount Weather</strong>
</p>
<p>By the time they reached the door to mount weather the sun was three quarters through its cycle. It had been a quiet trip and everyone had been on guard. Clarke still hadn't been able to shake the feeling of being watched but she knew if she was it was someone Lexa had sent. She had a mission to do and then hopefully put this behind her.</p>
<p>They approached the door and Clarke stopped and scanned the area looking for anything out of place. There was an eerie calm around this place when not 24 hours ago there was a whole army here. Once she felt like whoever was there was not a threat she turned and faced the two people traveling with her. She owed them an explanation of why they were back here.</p>
<p>"Octavia, do you have the paint?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, I still don't know why you wanted this. I know you like to draw but honestly what is it for?" She saw the confused looks on both of their faces as she was handed the paint.</p>
<p>"Something Echo said rang true to me. I have to prove that the mountain is actually no more since Lexa's army left." she took a breath as she dipped her fingers into the black paint.</p>
<p>"This won't mean much to <em>Skaikru</em> but it will to the grounders." She moved to the giant hinge on the door.</p>
<p>She drew a black circle in the middle of the "I" part of the hinge. Once it was dark enough she reapplied the paint once more and drew four crescent moons with their points facing outwards leaving a small diamond shape in the middle. In the middle of this she drew a triquetra. She wiped the black paint on a rag and reached for the small amount of red paint she had. She dipped her index finger in it and drew two blood drops coming from each point of the moon.</p>
<p>She heard Lincoln let out a breath once she took a step back and turned toward them. She grabbed some of the water she had brought with them and poured it on her hand to wash off what paint was left.</p>
<p>"Clarke, How do you know about that symbol? That is something from our legends that no one had seen in years from what I am told." She looked up at the big man.</p>
<p>"What I tell you goes nowhere, understand?" They both nodded at her.</p>
<p>"You know how Lexa has the commander spirit because of the flame and that she was born a <em>Natblida</em>?" They nodded at her as she stepped closer to them not wanting any prying eyes to see what she was about to do.</p>
<p>She pulled out one of her daggers from the sheathe in her sleeve and sliced the palm of her hand to let her blood run. She instinctively closed her palm as she felt the pain of slicing her own hand and she felt the warm blood starting to come out of the slice. She looked up at both of her friends and they had their eyebrow raised.</p>
<p>"Shortly after we made an alliance with the commander I had a dream where I was standing in a throne room surrounded by 11 people that I had never met before. A woman appeared next to me and surprised the others in the room." She took a breath.</p>
<p>"At the time I didn't know who these people were but after talking with Lexa, I found out they were the previous commanders. The woman that appeared next to me was the spirit of <em>Wanheda</em>." She waited trying to control her breathing at the pain in her palm.</p>
<p>"Over the next week I was visited by <em>Wanheda</em> and was told that I had been chosen by her for something." She looked at Octavia.</p>
<p>"You remember when we were in the village and Lexa and I were training?" She nodded.</p>
<p>"Well during that I connected with <em>Wanheda</em> for the first time and by doing so she unlocked something inside me that caused me to match the commander spirit. It also started to change my blood." She opened her hand and saw both of their eyes blow open wide.</p>
<p>"<em>Natblida</em>." She heard Lincoln breathe out.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>. It started that day and while we were in the mountain <em>Wanheda</em> and I, were one when we slayed the guards and she was with me till we left the mountain telling me that her spirit had joined mine and she would help me with whatever comes next." She grabbed some of the bandages that she had requested from Med Bay and started to wrap her palm.</p>
<p>"I do not know what this means for me but I know that it won't be good. Word will spread once scouts see this symbol and tell what happened here." she looked back up at them.</p>
<p>"Clarke you know what <em>Wanheda</em> means in our language right?" Lincoln looked concerned and she smiled at him.</p>
<p>"It means the Commander of Death, correct?" She knew it did but wanted him to confirm it for him.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>, That raises you to almost the same status as <em>Heda</em>. In our culture <em>Heda</em> and <em>Wanheda</em> were two of the most powerful spirits in our beliefs. From what I have read and been told those two spirits will bring an everlasting peace or the end of the world." No matter how many times she had been told a version of this it still made her wince.</p>
<p>"Well Lincoln I plan on it being the first one. Everyone down here deserves to wake up and not be under the threat of war. We all deserve that opportunity to live and make a life for ourselves down here. Will there be war that pops up every now and then, of course." she gathered everything back up and handed it back to Octavia.</p>
<p>"I am sure you are but by doing this and putting your symbol with that one will cause you to be marked. In our legends it is believed that if you kill the spirit of <em>Wanheda</em> you will take the power to control death." She raised an eyebrow at him and she heard the confirmation from that spirit that he was speaking true.</p>
<p>"Well, good thing I don't plan on dying anytime soon and I plan on trying to get <em>Skaikru</em> further protection." She looked over at Octavia and saw that she was processing everything.</p>
<p>"Lincoln, I have something to ask of you. If you do not want to do this then I understand." Octavia looked at her in the eye and she saw the question there.</p>
<p>"What is it Clarke?" he was keeping a straight face but she could see something in his eyes.</p>
<p>"First you should know that your banishment had been lifted by orders of <em>Heda</em>." She watched as his eyes went wide.</p>
<p>"You are once again part of <em>Trikru</em> once you pass some test she had for you. She did not tell me what this was but she did say that it would take place the day after we arrived in Tondisi." He nodded and seemed to tense quickly but went back to normal.</p>
<p>"Now I would like you to become another general of mine. I need another person I can trust and you can help me further understand your traditions when I need it. You helped us even though you knew what it would mean to your people." She looked at Octavia and saw the smile on her watched as he dropped to a knee and bowed his head at her.</p>
<p>"It would be an honor to serve you <em>Wanheda</em>." She noticed the name he used. She guessed that title ranked higher than her others. She stuck her arm out at him.</p>
<p>"Rise, <em>Linkon kom Trikru en Skaikru.</em> You are one of my generals but the three of us still answer to <em>Heda</em>." She felt him grip her arm and she locked her gaze with his.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Wanheda.</em>" She heard both of them say. She looked up at the sun and it had not moved but a little. They needed to find shelter for the night as soon as they could.</p>
<p>"Good. Now we should head out." They nodded and started making their way to their destination.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She had lost track of how long she had been awake but guessed it was nearing almost two days. She could feel the exhaustion setting in after everything she had been through. She was afraid to close her eyes as she sat inside the mountain. She was afraid of what her dreams would bring so she powered through and could feel it finally catching up to her.</p>
<p>The walk through the woods was calming but she was on edge for what seemed like the millionth time today. She could feel them being watched but her mind was using every last ounce of concentration to follow Lincoln. He knew of a cave they would be able to stay in that was close to the mountain. With as late as it was he said this would be the best option if they wanted to do any hunting at all.</p>
<p>They made it to a cave that was about eight miles from mount weather just as the sun was starting to set. It was a spacious cave that offered a nice view of the surrounding forest. It would serve its purpose for the night. She wanted to leave as the sun was rising in the morning but she wondered if she would get any sleep tonight. She gathered wood for a fire while Octavia and Lincoln went out to hunt. She still could feel eyes on her and she was tired of it.</p>
<p>She got back to the cave and set the wood down and exited the cave to gather more. She followed her instinct to where she thought the people watching her would be. She looked up and scanned the trees looking for her observers and then she saw a shape hiding in the treetops.</p>
<p>"I know you are up there, come on down." She announced loud enough for the person to hear her. She was not expecting two people to come down from different trees.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She smiled when she saw the young girl she had met early this morning. She was not surprised to find her here again and if she had to guess it was on orders of Lexa. She looked at the other woman that had come down from a tree and noticed that she had a darker tan complexion, short chin length dirty blond hair. She carried a bow and two swords with her. One was a curved scimitar and the other was a curved blade that was in the shape of a crescent moon. She was taller than Clarke by a couple of inches and she could tell this woman was closer to Anya's age. She locked eyes with the woman and tried to get a read on her.</p>
<p>Clarke saw the difference between the Trikru and this woman. She was leaner but toned and wore a scarf around her neck. She wore lighter clothing than what she had seen <em>Trikru</em> in. Clarke knew this woman was from another clan and if she had to guess this woman came from a place that was a lot warmer than here.</p>
<p>"Elanta, Who is this woman with you?" she looked at the younger girl but saw how she looked at the other woman first. A lightbulb went off in her head and she figured that this could be <em>Elanta's Fos</em>.</p>
<p>"My name is <em>Aslena kom Sankru</em>." Clarke was glad her guess was correct. She stepped towards the old woman.</p>
<p>"Good to meet you <em>Aslena kom Sankru. Ai laik Wanheda, Skaiheda Klark kom Skaikru."</em> She extended her arm towards the woman and waited. Clarke knew introducing herself this way would judge who people would react to her new name that she had taken on.</p>
<p>She watched as the recognition crossed the woman's face and she watched as her eyes scanned over her and rested at her extended arm. She was glad when the woman grasped her arm in greeting and she locked eyes with her once more.</p>
<p>"So you are the one that Elanta said slew the mountain?" Clarke could feel the judgement and questions as the grasp was let go.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>. The door now bears the mark of <em>Wanheda</em>." She waited before she spoke to see what would be said.</p>
<p>"Then it is truly an honor to meet you <em>Wanheda, Skaiheda Klark kom Skaikru.</em> You have freed our people from years of torment." Clarke was surprised by how easy this woman took her word. She was cautious of this but let it slide for now. The more of Lexa's people that trusted her the better it would be for her people.</p>
<p>"All I did was pull a lever and cause a mass extinction, killing innocent children in the process and it will never leave me." Clarke didn't know what possessed her to say this but she attributed it to the lack of sleep.</p>
<p>"That may be so but you took away the threat of further killing of the <em>Trikru</em> and any of the surrounding clans that they could get a hold of. From what Echo told me, before she left the village you and <em>Heda</em> were at before the battle, <em>Heda</em> made an announcement that the mountain was no more thanks to <em>Skaiheda</em>. As she was leaving the people there were already spreading the name <em>Wanheda</em> around." Clarke took in a sharp breath and could feel a reassuring nod from <em>Wanheda's</em> spirit.</p>
<p>"Well, if anyone needs proof I will gladly show them with <em>Heda's</em> approval." She focused on keeping her eyes open and trying to see the two people in front of her with the moonlight.</p>
<p>"Now I know that <em>Heda</em> most likely sent you two here to watch me and that is fine. We are in a cave not far from her but you know that already." Aslena nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Good. You are welcome to join us if you bring food. Based on those clouds it could rain tonight. I would hate for you two to get sick because you had to stay out in it." She saw the battle being fought in <em>Aslena's</em> eyes.</p>
<p>"We will go hunt then join you. You are right, the weather does look right for rain." Clarke nodded at them and they went to go hunt.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She gathered another pile of wood and made her way back to the cave. She saw Lincoln and Octavia back with a few rabbits and some small vegetables. She sat the wood down in the pile from earlier and made her way to the front of the cave and observed. She could smell the change in the weather and knew she was right as she heard the first sign of rain.</p>
<p>"We will have two more joining us for the night." She turned back and looked at her two generals.</p>
<p>"Who Clarke and how do you know this?" She saw the looks on both of their faces in the flickering light of the flames.</p>
<p>"Lexa, assigned two scouts to watch me as we made our way to <em>Tondisi</em>. I confronted them and one of them was <em>Elanta</em>." She saw the look of shock on Octavia's face. She remembered the young girl from this morning.</p>
<p>"The other is one of Lexa's generals that until a few minutes ago I had only seen but not known her name. She is <em>Aslena kom Sankru.</em> If I had to guess Aslena is <em>Elanta's Fos.</em> I told them they are welcome to join us if they bring food. It looks like it would rain tonight and I would like to avoid them getting sick." She could tell both of them were studying her.</p>
<p>"Lincoln what do you know of this Aslena?" she heard Octavia ask as Clarke turned back and faced the opening of the cave.</p>
<p>"She became one of <em>Heda's</em> generals around the same time Anya did. Together they were sent out on missions that were deemed the most dangerous. <em>Heda</em> trusted them and they never failed her. Aslena is ruthless when it comes to battle and stealth. It was once told that Anya and her infiltrated a village that had threated <em>Heda</em> and they slaughtered everyone before the sun rose. Only those close to Heda knew about this. I only know because Anya had let it slip one night when I was with her and we started talking about the rumors." She turned her head slightly and looked back at the man. She saw the brief look of sadness on his face as he told what he knew.</p>
<p>Clarke wondered just how many people were close to Anya. Every time she looked at Elanta she saw an uncanny resemblance to the woman. From what Lincoln had told her he was one of Anya's scouts when they first landed her and he was assigned to watch them. After he had helped them evade capture from Tristian, he was banished when Octavia attempted to trade Nyko for him before he was captured and became a reaper. She shuddered at the sight of him when they had found him.</p>
<p>She realized that the woman she had rescued from Mount Weather had an important part in more than just Lexa's life. She regretted not being able to save her from the gunshot. She still blamed herself for doing more to try and help her before she died. She wiped the tear that was falling from her face as she saw two figures approaching the cave. She grabbed the hilt of her sword to be safe but relaxed when she saw the brief glimpse of their faces in the moonlight.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She stood at the entrance to the cave as they approached and greeted Aslena as they came to a stop at the entrance. She nodded at the both of them and turned back to Octavia and Lincoln.</p>
<p>"Octavia, Lincoln this is Aslena and Elanta." They stood up and greeted the two women.</p>
<p>"Aslena, Elanta these are my two generals. Lincoln and Octavia." She saw the emotion cross Aslena as she looked at Lincoln. They nodded at each other as they made their way to the fire to cook the meat they had brought.</p>
<p>She felt the tension between the two and wondered what their story was. She pushed it aside for now and made her way to the fire and sat on the cave floor. Everyone sat in silence as the food was cooked and did not know how to approach the new additions.</p>
<p>"Aslena, Lincoln said that you worked with Anya. Is that true?" Aslena looked up at her and then looked over at Lincoln and saw the question on her face as if asking how much he had told her.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>. Anya was like a sister to me. We both became generals for Heda shortly after she became commander and untied the clans forming the Kongeda. I was returning from a previous mission when Heda approached me with Anya and asked me to become one of her generals. She told me she wanted at least one general from every clan as a way to show that she was willing to work with and listen to our ideas. It made the ambassadors happy, each of them having their own reasons to agree to this." She took a drink of water before she continued.</p>
<p>"Now <em>Wanheda</em>, I must know something." She looked at the woman and raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>"What is it, Aslena?"</p>
<p>"Now that the mountain is no more. What is your plan for <em>Skaikru</em>? You are still located in Trikru territory." Clarke furrowed her brows at the woman. She knew that Lexa trusted this woman at least a little to have become one of her generals.</p>
<p>"That is one of the reasons I am traveling to Tondisi. <em>Heda</em> extended an offer to come there after the battle if I still lived and we would start to discuss the peace we had for the battle with the <em>Maunde</em>." Aslena nodded at her answer and took a bite of the rabbit she had cooked.</p>
<p>After Aslena was satisfied with her answer she started talking to Octavia while Elanta talked to her wanting to know what life was like in the sky. They talked for an hour before Clarke let out a yawn, the exhaustion catching back up to her once more. She grabbed her bedding that she had brought with her and laid it out where she had been sitting. Lincoln volunteered for first watch with Aslena taking the next one followed by Octavia then Elanta would take the last shift. Clarke tried to say that she would take a shift but she was quickly shot down by Lincoln and Octavia saying that she deserved the rest after everything she had been through.</p>
<p>She finally relented and took off her weapons and laid them beside her bed roll. She heard the rain coming down at a decent speed and knew that if it was not gone by morning it would be a long trek to Tondisi. She laid down and covered herself turning away from the fire and let the exhaustion consume her as she hoped her dreams would be spared from the horrors she had committed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here is the next chapter of the story. I want to thank everyone that as read this story so far. This started as something I did based off a thought I had one night. Now it has taken a life of its own and I am grateful that I am able to share this with all of you. Thank you for the reviews, kudos and bookmarks. I hope you all enjoy. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Clarke's nightmare</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Middle of the night</strong>
</p>
<p>The smell of the filtered air hit her first, then came the voices all shouting at opened her eyes and saw where she was and her heart started to beat faster. She was in the security room of Mount Weather again. She looked around and saw the same people there. Dante was dead in the corner of the room. Bellamy was alternating between watching her and the monitors and Monty was waiting for her orders.</p>
<p>Why was she back here? The mountain men were gone. There was no way all that had happened was a dream. She watched the monitors trying to decide her next move when Cage brought someone forward from off screen. Their head was covered and she watched intently as he grabbed the radio again and removed the hood.</p>
<p>She sucked in a breath at the person that was there now. How was this possible when she had left. Kneeling by the table that Wick was on was Lexa. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was gagged. Clarke shook her head in disbelief and looked at Bellamy who just held a look of shock on his face the same with Monty.</p>
<p>"Bell I have to go now. Pull that damn lever if I don't come back." He nodded at her and moved to where she was standing.</p>
<p>She took off not caring who was in her way. She entered the lunch area of level five and saw the startled faces on all of them. Her gaze turned red and she could feel Wanheda taking over. She drew her sword and started heading toward the door she needed to reach. The first person that tried to stop her was met by their throat being slit, their blood flying over her. She heard the screams and saw more people rush her.</p>
<p>She shrugged her shoulders at them knowing they had decided their fate. Her body went into overdrive and she fought her way to the door. She felt the blood of these people that were trying to stop her as it hit her. She felt no remorse, Cage had her love and no one was safe. Blood was flying everywhere covering her and anything it hit. She hesitated when she went to swing on the next person and it was a child. She stilled but couldn't bring herself to kill a child. She was not expecting to be surrounded by more children that were a few years younger than herself. She looked at all of them.</p>
<p>"If you do not move out of my way you will meet the same fate as the others." Her voice was low and she felt her lungs expanding and contracting as she breathed.</p>
<p>They all slowly backed away from her and she was glad. Adults were one thing but she wasn't ready to slit the throats of children yet. She made her way to the door with little resistance and she estimated half of the people in the dining area were dead. She pulled the door open and saw down the halfway to her left more guards.</p>
<p>She smiled at them and launched herself at them with a war cry. Each one tried to shoot her but she was moving too fast and she was on them in a blur. Each one went down trying to fight but it was all for not. She looked at the pile of bodies and could tell her body was covered by the blood of everyone. She reached the door and pulled it open stepping into the room. Her thoughts were running on overdrive as she locked eyes with Lexa. The look on her face caused her to lose the remaining control she had. Cage set the remaining guards on her and her fury took over. She glowed white as she dispatched each one till it was just cage and Emerson.</p>
<p>She looked up at Cage and he had now put a gun to her head and she stopped in her tracks. She locked eyes with him and he smiled. She wanted to do nothing but slice his neck but she was not close enough and couldn't risk the gun going off.</p>
<p>"Clarke, it seems you have changed. How many of the innocent people in the dining area did you kill?" She saw the shock on her mother's face but she ignored it.</p>
<p>"They were in my way just like everyone else that has died tonight. Just like you will." She flexed her fingers on her sword while slowly moving one of the daggers from her sleeve to her hand.</p>
<p>"I don't think I will Clarke. You see I have the one person you care about at my mercy. All I have to do is pull this trigger and no more commander." She clenched her teeth and tried to school her emotions and risked a glance at Lexa. She saw her trying to tell her not worry about and just take him out.</p>
<p>She turned the dagger in her palm and she felt the grip of it. She knew she only had one chance at this and she hoped that Wanheda would help her.</p>
<p>"What do you want, Cage?" She asked as she moved her hands up to sheathe her sword trying to distract him from the dagger in her hand.</p>
<p>"Your unconditional surrender and she will be spared. All you have to do is walk out of here with her and leave your people. Are you willing to sacrifice your people for just one person." She looked at everyone in the room and saw the emotion on all of them. Her mind was made up already.</p>
<p>"Sorry Cage no deal." She flung the dagger at him and it connected with his neck but she heard the gun go off and Lexa slumped forward. She let out a scream and ran to catch her.</p>
<p>No this couldn't be happening. She cradled her in her arms hoping and praying that she would open her eyes. Her hands roamed to the wound and it was instantly coated in the black blood. Tears ran from her eyes and she held her love.</p>
<p>"I win, Clarke." She heard the gurgled words come from Cage as he stilled.</p>
<p>She looked at Lexa again and couldn't hold it back anymore. Her rage erupted from her as she cried out. White light seemed to radiate off her skin and the light grew the more she released her rage.</p><hr/>
<p>Clarke awoke with a scream as she sat up trying to figure out where she was. It was all so real. She looked around the cave trying to find Lexa and she was nowhere to be found. She was sweating and she looked around and the walls felt like they were moving closer. She grabbed her things and ran towards the front of the cave trying to escape the voice in her head. She heard the laughter of Emerson and Cage's words ringing in her head. She heard voices of the people in the mountain telling her she would never rest.</p>
<p>She had managed to put her gear on as she made it to the entrance. She needed to leave this cave. She quickly put everything on and made her way outside surprised that no one had stopped her. It was dark as she walked out of the cave and the moon was directly above her now. She walked to a tree that was close to the entrance of the cave and climbed her way up into it. She was struck by a memory of Lexa showing her how to do this for the first time and she smiled. She braced her back against the trunk of the tree and stretched a leg out in front of her while she let the other hang off the branch.</p>
<p>She knew someone would come looking for her soon but she needed this. She tried to ignore the voices and what they were saying to her. She focused on controlling her breathing and Lexa. She opened her eyes and looked at her hands expecting to see them covered in Lexa's blood. This nightmare shook her to her core and she didn't know how to approach it. She slaughtered innocent people that were just there because she was trying to get through. She felt sick to her stomach as the memory of being ready to kill the children if they didn't move came back to her. She had been too late and couldn't save the woman she loves.</p>
<p>If she was being honest with herself that was her worst fear was not being able to save Lexa. It wasn't what the killing and war was turning her into, but that was it. She would deal with whatever came from the war she would fight here on the ground but if she lost Lexa she knew there would be no stopping her.</p>
<p>She heard the footsteps approaching and she instinctively reached for her sword. Her nerves were shot and she still felt groggy from the sudden jolt of waking up. She looked at where the steps were coming from and saw that it was Aslena and Octavia coming her way. She sighed and climbed down from her perch trying to ready herself for the questions. Once she was down she made her way over to them and she could tell at least Octavia had a worried look on her face.</p>
<p>"<em>Wanheda</em>, is everything okay?" Aslena asked as she came to stand in front of the women.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>, just a bad dream." She saw the look of worry on Octavia's face.</p>
<p>"I'll be okay. Let's go back to the cave and I'll take watch." They nodded at her hopefully recognizing that she needed the space.</p><hr/>
<p>They made their way back to the cave as she focused on anything but her dreams. Her mind wandered to a pair of green eyes that always seemed to peer into her soul when they met. She shook her head for what felt like the millionth time as she let a small smile show itself. No matter how long she had been down here did she ever think that just one woman would be able to carve a part in her heart like Lexa had.</p>
<p>She looked up and saw the entrance to the cave with a light coming from it. The fire had been relit at some point throughout the night. She stayed at the entrance to the cave as Aslena made her way inside. She saw the nod come from Lincoln as he tended to the fire. She saw Octavia was standing next to her.</p>
<p>"I am guessing it was your watch?" She asked as she looked out in the forest.</p>
<p>"It was and still is. I just have an extra pair of eyes now. Come on. We need to do a patrol." Clarke nodded and followed her.</p>
<p>"I'm surprised you didn't try and tell me to stay inside." She tried to fall back into her normal self or what she perceived as normal.</p>
<p>"Clarke. We all heard the scream you let out and we all saw you tear out of the cave like you had seen a ghost." She stilled and turned to face her.</p>
<p>"I don't know what caused that but I know it wasn't like you. It worried all of us." She looked at her face and saw the concern evident in her eyes.</p>
<p>"It was just a nightmare O, I will be fine. I just needed to get out of there." She waited to see what she would say next.</p>
<p>"Was it about the mountain?" Octavia asked and she wondered how she had known.</p>
<p>"How did you know?" she asked as she started walking again.</p>
<p>"Lucky guess. What you did there would not be easy for anyone. You made a hard call just like you and Lexa did at TonDC, I can see that now. If you need to talk about it I'll listen." She looked at her and tried to read her.</p>
<p>"Thanks Octavia, I'll keep that in mind." She took a breath before she spoke.</p>
<p>"It just felt so real. I have never experienced something like that. I have to talk to Lexa because if I had to guess it has something to do with my being a <em>Natblida</em> now. There is so much I don't know because of everything going on." She sighed as she scanned the trees looking for any sign of danger.</p>
<p>"I feel like since we came down here all I have done is wind up getting people killed. I know it was done out of survival but I have caused so many people to die." Clarke knew she was spiraling into a panic attack again but everything just started to hit her once more. She was growing tired of this and just wanted to run.</p>
<p>"Look at me Clarke." She felt her grab her and turn her to face her.</p>
<p>"You are the reason we all are alive right now. You made sure that no matter what was going on we survived. Yes you have blood on your hands but it was done in defense of our people when you had no options left. If it wasn't for you all of us would have died the first time Lexa's army came at us." Octavia pulled her closer when she saw the tears form.</p>
<p>"I don't care what your mother or whatever is left of that council says. The remaining of us that came down here together look up to you. We weren't expected to live this long but here we are. You put us in our place and made sure we all came out of that mountain." Octavia felt the sobs coming from her friend as they racked through her.</p>
<p>"How can you all look up to me with everything I have done. I sentenced Finn to death, I let Wells, Charlotte and Atom die, I banished Murphy even though he was innocent. I condemned a whole race to death to save our people. I killed innocent children O." Octavia had been waiting for her to break like this.</p>
<p>Octavia had been harsh on when she found out about TonDC and a part of her still didn't agree with her but she had come to see that if they had tried to stop it her brother would not be here. She realized that Clarke may not have wanted to be their leader but she had been the only one willing to make the decisions required to make sure they survived. Clarke was the true leader of <em>Skaikru</em>, council be damned.</p>
<p>"You kept us all alive Clarke. That is why. You made a deal with the people sent to kill us and in the process found someone that will care for you and help you through all of this." That got Clarke to look at her.</p>
<p>"Lexa is good for you. I am not saying everything that comes with being with her will be easy. Lincoln has told me some things about how their politics work and I can say I do not envy you right now. But I know that if anyone can get through it, it is you." She saw the smile slowly come back to her face.</p>
<p>"Thanks O." She pulled away from her friend and wiped her eyes and quickly realized that she still had not washed the blood off of her.</p>
<p>"There is a stream close if you want to wash that off." She looked up at her friend and saw the smirk on her face.</p>
<p>"As long as we can get there and not stray too far. I had honestly forgotten about it." She shivered at the thought of everything that had gone on today with her still wearing the blood of the mountain men.</p>
<p>"It probably helped your cause with Echo. She actually looked a little terrified of you." Clarke let out a laugh.</p>
<p>"Good. I still don't trust her but I see why Lexa sent her there." Octavia nodded as they came up on the stream.</p>
<p>Octavia just nodded her head at the stream. Clarke nodded at her as she approached it, glad Octavia was giving her the moment to get as much off as she could. She grabbed a rag from the pouch that she had on her side. She stepped towards the edge of the stream and dunked the rag in the water. She felt the chill of the water as it soaked the cloth. She pulled the cloth out of the water and gave it a squeeze not wanting to completely let all of the water out of it. She washed her face first and she could feel the remnants of her warpaint and blood starting to peel away. With every scrub that removed blood or paint she started to feel normal or whatever that was now.</p>
<p>She could feel the weight of her choices slowly start to dissipate like she was shedding the skin of Wanheda. She ran a hand through her hair and let out a curse when she came across a knot. She knew her hair was matted with the dried blood but it would have to wait till she got to TonDC when she could properly clean it. Her hair had grown to where it was mid back length now and she still had some of the braids left it in from when Lexa had done her hair. She stood up from the stream once she felt like she had removed as much of the physical stain of the mountain for the moment and made her way back to where she had left Octavia.</p>
<p>She came up the small hill and saw her friend standing scanning the woods. Once she was next to her she nodded and they continued doing their patrol. The patrol they did took them not long to complete and they made their way back to the cave. Clarke saw that the fire was still going inside and she made her way to the front of the cave and stood against the entrance looking at the people there. Elanta was asleep waiting for her turn to watch which would be coming up in a couple of hours. Aslena and Lincoln were staring at the fire as if waiting for something to jump out of it and burn them. She still was unsure of the past between the two but with what she had heard there was something there and it had to do with Anya.</p>
<p>Octavia left to go scan the area just a little further out from the cave and Clarke stepped out of the cave to get some air. She was joined by Aslena shortly after that. She looked up at the woman and gave her a quick smile as she turned her attention back to the woods.</p>
<p>"<em>Wanheda</em>, you know if you stare long enough you might actually see something." Clarke looked at her and saw the small smirk on her face.</p>
<p>"You can call me Clarke. It is just us here and if Heda trusts you then I do as well." Aslena nodded and sat down next to her.</p>
<p>"I must say you have surprised me Clarke. When I first saw you in that meeting in TonDC I was shocked to learn that you were the one that had caused Anya so many troubles." She let out a huff at her words.</p>
<p>"Well I did what I had to do for my people. Trust me I wish I didn't have to sentence that many people to death." Aslena heard the grief behind her attempt at keeping her voice level.</p>
<p>"You had to do what was necessary. After that day word spread of this girl from the sky that could control fire. You kept your people alive longer than most that came into contact with Anya." Clarke looked over at the woman.</p>
<p>"She was cunning and ruthless when it came to something. There were many times where we would be sent out on a mission and I had to pull her back from going too far. She was a noble warrior but her heart sometimes made her rash." Aslena looked over at her and she could tell she was on the verge of learning something about Anya.</p>
<p>"You were the first one that had tested her in a long time. I was sent to TonDC with Tristian to see if further men were needed to wipe you out. When she came back from your meeting on the bridge she was furious. She came to me and expressed how much she was intrigued by you and how much it frustrated her that you were able to outsmart her." Clarke just stayed silent as Aslena spoke.</p>
<p>"Before the attack on your people at the metal ship you came down in, She told me that if you were born as one of our people you would have made a great Sekon for someone. She saw the strength and leadership in you Clarke and it reminded her of Heda." To say Clarke was shocked was not the most accurate description.</p>
<p>"Are you being serious right now?"</p>
<p>"Sha made an impression on her. She would be proud of what you and Heda accomplished. I know her leaving you at the mountain was hard but she had to make the best choice for her people." Clarke nodded at her still processing what she had been told.</p>
<p>"I know she did. Heda and I talked about that possibility and as much as we both didn't want that to happen it did and she made the right call. My people are new down here and have way less to lose than she did. She thought of the Kongeda before us and I am okay with that." Aslena smiled as Clarke spoke.</p>
<p>She knew Clarke was special and that the commander had taken a special interest in her. She may not have seen all of their interactions but even she could see what the commander saw. Anya would definitely have taken her as a <em>Sekon</em> if she were still here. Clarke was different than everyone had believed initially and she had done something that everyone thought was impossible.</p>
<p>"The dreams will always be with you. They will become easier to deal with over time. All of the warriors in the Kongeda deal with them. Some of us deal with dreams that are detailed while others have dreams that seem normal but stay with them for a time." Clarke looked at her.</p>
<p>"What you accomplished Clarke freed so many of our people but it cost you much. I will not ask what you had to do because it is obvious that it was something that caused you much pain and grief." Clarke watched as she reached into her bag and pulled out a pouch.</p>
<p>"This will help you sleep. It is a mixture of herbs and leaves that our <em>Fisas</em> have found to help suppress dreams. It will make you sleep for a few hours. The rain may have stopped for now but it might return. If you would like I can go to TonDC and inform Heda that you may take another day to arrive." Clarke took the pouch from her and started mixing them with some of her water in a cup she carried with her.</p>
<p>"I want to get to TonDC as quickly as possible. You are welcome to stay here with us. If this helps me get some more sleep we can leave when I wake." Clarke swallowed the mixture and had to fight to keep it down. She heard Aslena laugh at her reaction.</p>
<p>"Elanta and I will go hunt at daylight for breakfast and we will await for you to wake. I will inform Octavia and Lincoln of your request. Sleep now Wanheda." Clarke nodded and made her way into the cave.</p>
<p>She took her gear off for the second time and laid down where she had laid out her bed roll. She stared at the ceiling of the cave and wondered how long the mixture would take to start working. In the time she had spent with Nyko, she had learned that some of the mixtures work quickly while some take time. She could feel her eyes start to get heavy from the lack of sleep and for the first time since the mountain she gave into the darkness that started to consume her and she closed her eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Camp Jaha</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Just before sunrise</strong>
</p>
<p>Bellamy had spent all day yesterday assisting Echo with building the training area back to what it should look like. They had worked well together and they had managed to get a decent training ground set up by sundown. Kane and given the two of them a small building that had been built for the head guardsmen to stay in. Kane had informed him that with what he accomplished in the mountain the council had approved him to take over the role considering Clarke had told Echo to train their guards it made sense for him to lead them.</p>
<p>He could hear the rain bouncing off the metal roof of his quarters. He knew today would be a wet and soggy day. The ground would be mud and no matter what training Echo had planned for him he knew that he would need a long shower. He had never been one to wake up early but he mind would not stop running with unanswered questions. He had so many questions about what had happened since he went into the mountain. What had happened to Clarke that made her the person he saw take down the guards and shoot someone without remorse? Why did the commander leave them and how did Clarke know about why she chose too? What did Clarke mean by not to trust her own mother?</p>
<p>He was brought out his thoughts as he heard the soft footsteps of Echo. He looked toward the noise and saw that she was starting to get around for the day. He immediately felt like he should give her some privacy but he caught sight of her back through the sunlight that was starting to trickle in. He saw the scars littered across her back and his breath caught in his throat. He could tell that the scars were old but had been deep enough to cause them to still remain. He for the first time since being down her felt sorrow for a grounder. It caused him to want to ask but he knew that they weren't to the level yet.</p>
<p>"You can stop staring and get ready." Echo said as she pulled her shirt on. She let a small smile appear on her face as she heard him scramble to recover from her words.</p>
<p>She had known he was awake from the moment she started to get ready. She had not been able to get much sleep through the night as every noise she heard caused her to wake. She finally gave up trying to get some rest and just decided to relax as best as she could. Throughout the night she heard Bellamy toss and turn and fight in his sleep. She listened as he talked about Clarke, Octavia, the commander, and his mother. She could tell the boy was haunted by something and it was causing him to lose sleep.</p>
<p>She had started to get around when she could tell that he was awake. She had no qualms about getting dressed in front of him. She had learned a long time ago to forget about decency as she was always on the move and needed to be ready at a moment's notice. She was not used to being still.</p>
<p>"I wasn't staring by the way." He grumbled as he started to get the clothing on. He heard the muffled grunt come for her but he didn't say anything about it.</p>
<p>"So I am afraid to ask what you have planned for me today." He looked at her as he laced his boots.</p>
<p>"First I need to test your stamina so we are going to go on a run. Then when we get back I need to test how well you do in a fight without your gun. Once I have done that I will know the best way to teach you." She looked at him as he stood up.</p>
<p>She could tell he was excited to do this but she was not going to go easy on the boy. He may have saved her from the mountain but she would not fail Wanheda or Heda. Both of them scared her more than anything and she had not seen what Clarke really was capable of and she hoped she never would.</p>
<p>She motioned for him to follow her as she made her way to the door. The sun was just now peaking over the horizon and she let a small smile appear on her face. This was one of the things she was grateful for after she was trapped in the mountain. She fully believed that she would never see the sun again.</p>
<p>She felt the rain fall against her arms as she stepped out from under the roof that was attached to the house. She let out a sigh as the rain washed her skin taking away the physical stain of the mountain. Her eyes opened when she heard footsteps behind her and she turned to look at the man that had saved her. In her life she was told never to get attached to anyone as it would only make her job harder. She had never expected for one man to break through that wall without even saying anything to her. She shook her head to clear her mind of those thoughts and she saw a smirk on his face.</p>
<p>"We will see if you still have that smirk on your face after we are done." She motioned with her head to follow and she took off at a jog heading for the main gate. She felt him come up beside her. She turned her head slightly to look at him and she growled at the smirk still on his face. He would not be so cocky after she was done with him.</p>
<p>Once they hit the gate she looked at him and told him to keep up. She took off for the wood off to the left of camp. She was going to make a large circle around the camp that way she could accurately judge how well he did on his feet maneuvering through the forest. She could tell he was at least somewhat capable of maneuvering through the forest as she could hear him behind her. She veered to her left going behind the camp picking up speed. She looked behind her and saw he was losing ground on her. Perfect she thought as she slid behind a tree and waited.</p>
<p>She heard his labored breathing as he got closer to where she was. She calmed her breathing and waited for the perfect time to strike. She counted down in her mind as he got closer. She struck out her arm with precision as he came up on her tree and her forearm collided with his chest knocking him off his feet.</p>
<p>She watched as he rolled backwards from the force of the unexpected blow and came to a stop on his knees clutching his chest trying to take in air.</p>
<p>"What the hell was that for?" he asked between breaths.</p>
<p>"It was to test your awareness of your surroundings and I must say you have much to learn." she stuck out a hand to help him up.</p>
<p>"Keep up and stay aware. You never know where someone could be hiding waiting to take you out. That is your first lesson you will need to learn." She turned and took off again.</p>
<p>She kept changing up her running speeds as she led him around the camp. She learned quickly he did better at a pace that was more of a jog than a sprint. After her first attempt to catch him off guard she was happy to see him paying more attention to his surroundings. She had been able to get him again by taking off ahead of him and hiding till he passed. Once he had passed her she came up behind him quickly and tackled him taking him down and pressing a dagger to his throat.</p>
<p>"You are getting better but your enemy will not always attack from in front of you." She looked at his face and then noticed the proximity of them and she got up quickly and took off again. She had no time for thoughts to linger right now. She had a job to do and could not afford to even fantasize about the man that way.</p>
<p>They continued the back and forth she had established for an hour and had made four complete laps around the camp before she came to a stop in front of the gates. Bellamy had impressed her as he was a fast learner. She had to quickly change up her strategy every time she went to go for what would be a kill. She was glad that he had been able to pick up the basics of learning his surroundings. It was a start and she could work with that.</p>
<p>She looked up at the sky and the sun was only a quarter of the way through its cycle for the day. She sighed quickly knowing today would be a long day. She would never tell anyone this but she was honestly glad to be in one spot for once in her life. She still watched over her shoulder but something about being her with Skaikru made her start to feel calmer. She knew at some point she would have to accomplish her second part of her mission. She just was not expecting that part of her mission to appear so soon.</p>
<p>"As much as I am enjoying our training I need to go check on Abigail and some other things." Bellamy said as he came up beside her slowly pulling her out of her mind. She grunted at his words.</p>
<p>"You are more than welcome to come along. The more people see you here, the more they will get used to you and any others that might come along." She turned and looked at him. She could see the sweat pouring off him. She smiled inward at the fact he had not mentioned he was exhausted but instead moved on to his other duties.</p>
<p>"So be it. I suppose I could accompany you. It is not like there is much else to do around here." She said gruffly as she motioned for him to lead the way. Better to follow him around than get caught snooping she surmised.</p>
<p>"Come on then. The chancellor awaits." Bellamy said as he yelled for the gates to be opened. She could tell just by his voice that he was not really keen on this part of his day. Interesting she thought as she followed him through the gates.</p><hr/>
<p>As they made their way inside she looked around as they made their way through the camp. Everywhere she looked she could see influence from the Trikru. There was a farm that was very similar to the one she would come across on her travels but she could tell it was a mix of both Skaikru and Trikru. She saw a building that had an orange glow coming from the entrance way. She saw smoke coming out of the roof and she guessed that Wanheda's people had realized that their bullets would run out eventually. Good she hated guns and if she never had to see one again she would die a happy woman. She saw another building that had a steady stream of people entering it and she could not tell what it was so she asked her guide.</p>
<p>"<em>Belomi</em>, what is that building over there?" she asked, surprising herself with how her own voice had a tinge of curiosity behind it.</p>
<p>"That is where everyone eats. All meals are served there. We haven't been able to really explore the surrounding area to hunt because most of us are still afraid of the commander's people. We are making do with what we can find close to camp and what we can grow but as much as we like to say we can survive, without all Clarke has done we most likely would have died the first time we encountered your people." Echo watched and listened as he talked and she could tell there was something else going on but he was right without Clarke they would have died.</p>
<p>"Well then your people must be glad that they have her as your leader, correct?" she saw him tense at her words.</p>
<p>"The original 100 that came down are yes. From what I have been told almost everyone here has bought into her but there are still some that don't believe she is capable of leading us. The biggest one being her own mother." She raised an eyebrow at him.</p>
<p>"Clarke's mother doesn't support what she is doing?" She knew that this could be a way to gather some much needed intel so she knew what she was walking into.</p>
<p>"Yes. She believes that Clarke is too young to be leading our people. Abigail was a part of the council that sent us down here to begin with." he paused as he looked around and she jumped when he grabbed her arm and started pulling her somewhere.</p>
<p>"What do you think you are doing?" she asked irritated as she ripped her arm out of his grasp.</p>
<p>"Too many ears. Still don't know who I can trust besides the people Clarke told me too." She nodded as she followed him behind a building. Once they stopped she raised an eyebrow at him waiting.</p>
<p>"Abby has it out for The commander. Last night she called me into her room in the medical ward and told everyone else to leave. She is under the assumption that The commander is holding Clarke against her will and has brainwashed her. She wanted me to help her get Clarke back. I know you were given other orders besides to train us." he paused waiting for a response and she knew that so she stayed silent.</p>
<p>"I'll take that as a yes. I don't know what she has planned but even I can see it won't be good. This meeting with her today is so I can get more information to pass to Clarke. I wanted to warn you so you didn't get the wrong idea if you hear anything." She nodded appreciating his honesty. She had to admit he had a head on his shoulders for the most part. She just hoped that he was telling the truth because she was actually taking a liking to him.</p>
<p>"Good to know. I think the more you find out the better it will go a long way with Heda and will show that your people are able to take care of your own." She saw his shoulders relax at her words.</p>
<p>"Good. Now let's go see how Abigail reacts to unexpected guests." she saw the smirk show on his face and she followed as he led them inside the metal ship.</p>
<p>
  <strong>MedBay</strong>
</p>
<p>They walked into MedBay and were stopped by Jackson. He tried to tell them Abby was in no condition to be seen right now but Bellamy informed him that he had been requested to come today by Abigail personally. Jackson relented and led them to the correct section of the area that was reserved for higher ranking personnel. The counselor had a personal section of Medbay as it was more secluded and easier to move around in thanks to the space inside.</p>
<p>Bellamy thanked Jackson as they opened the door and stepped inside. Echo looked around the room as she came in and was surprised at how well this place was outfitted compared to the rest of the medical area. Her natural instinct was to stay to the shadows but Bellamy had wanted her to make herself known. She stayed to the right of him never losing sight of the door or any exit for that matter. The smell of this place sent her nerves through the roof. It sent her mind back to the room where she was first taken in the mountain for examination. She would never forget that smell as it was invasive and burned her nostrils with every breath.</p>
<p>They came up in front of the bed that had been set up in the middle of the room against the far wall. She gazed upon the woman propped up against the back of the bed and took in her features. She had hair that was close to the same color of <em>Wanhedas</em>' minus the streaks of blood. Her complexion was fair and skin looked like it had been well taken care off. She could tell she was middle aged but not too old. She watched as the woman finally noticed she had guests and her face lit up at seeing Bellamy but her face changed at the sight of her. It was replaced by confusion and a tinge of anger.</p>
<p>"Bellamy, I thought I asked you to come alone." Abigail's voice was calm but she could tell there was a hint of anger laced between her words.</p>
<p>"You did but this woman here is helping train me in more ways to survive down here. She was one of the grounders that we helped rescue from the mountain." She watched as Abigail raked her eyes over her sizing her up. She already hated this woman just based on how she was being eyed alone.</p>
<p>"Was she sent here by the woman that has kidnapped my daughter?" Abigail was no longer trying to hide the anger in her words.</p>
<p>"Was she sent here to spy on us to see if we could be overrun?" Abigail turned from Bellamy and locked eyes with her.</p>
<p>"Tell me something. Did that bitch of a commander send you here so she could gather intel to use against use while she holds my daughter against her will?" Before she could think about what she was doing she was on Abigail with a dagger against her throat.</p>
<p>"You would be wise to watch how you talk about <em>Heda</em>. As for your daughter she is not being held against her will. I spoke with her before she came back to camp and she actually invited me to come to her camp and train Bellamy in our ways. If you haven't noticed Chancellor, <em>Skaikru</em> relies too much on their guns when we have many ways to deal with our threats." She smirked inward at the fear that was being shown on her face. She pressed the dagger ever so slightly just to draw a little blood.</p>
<p>"Now if you are done making accusations that you absolutely know nothing about then we can continue. Or if you speak another word ill against <em>Heda</em> or <em>Wanheda</em>, I will happily carry you out of here and take you to Heda herself and let her deal with you." She heard the gulp come from Abigail and she pulled back and locked eyes with Bellamy who was stunned but had a hint of amusement behind his eyes.</p>
<p>"Bellamy, who is this <em>Wanheda</em> this woman speaks of?" So Clarke's people were oblivious to this name. Good to know she thought.</p>
<p>"Clarke is <em>Wanheda</em>. If I am correct it is a title among the grounders that holds her in high regard. Am I correct Echo?" She nodded at him.</p>
<p>"Well then it sounds to me like my daughter has been brainwashed even more." Echo went to go for her again when she was cut off by Bellamy. She raised an eyebrow at him.</p>
<p>"Not now. Later just act like you left. I know how your people like to hide in the shadows." She heard him whisper. She nodded and looked at Abigail.</p>
<p>"You are lucky he stepped in my way otherwise you would have more than a small prick on your neck." She said as she turned to the door that was behind the curtain. She opened the door loud enough for Abigail to hear it and she pulled it back with some force to cause it to slam.</p><hr/>
<p>She waited for a minute to make sure she had bought it before she concealed herself in the shadows but was close enough to hear any conversation they were having.</p>
<p>"Bellamy, what were you thinking bringing one of those savages in here. She almost killed me for nothing." Echo had to control the rage that was building inside her.</p>
<p>"Abby, that woman helped me survive in the mountain. I am still alive because of her. The least you could do is try not to treat everyone like they have personally scorned you." She smiled at his words.</p>
<p>"They are all the same Bellamy. Which is why I wanted to meet with you today. I think I have found a way for us to get Clarke back." Her ears perked up at the change in conversation.</p>
<p>She watched as Bellamy got up and approached the side of the bed that had some contraption with a bag attached to it. She couldn't hear what was being said but she saw Abigail wince as she pointed to the table next to her. She watched as Bellamy pushed a button and a couple of seconds later Abigail relaxed and laid her head down.</p>
<p>"My plan is to use a modified version of the gas grenades that the mountain men used on you guys. If my theory is correct I should be able to replicate the formula and create enough of them to gas where Clarke is and knock out all of those savages and get my daughter back." Her eyes fell on Bellamy and saw his fist clench as he still held the remote. She watched as he pressed the button again and set down the remote. He moved to where he was previously sitting and waited as he watched Abigail.</p>
<p>"You only pressed that button once right?" He nodded at her question.</p>
<p>"Interesting, that is stronger that the last one. I will have to ask Jackson about it after you leave." He nodded at her again. Echo could tell whatever was in that bag was taking effect as Abigail's words began to slur.</p>
<p>"Now there is something else you should know." Abigail's words were coming out slower like she was trying to speak every word correctly.</p>
<p>"In my office in my cabinet in the leftmost drawer is a journal that is hidden in the false bottom. Inside are all my notes. I want you to take it and study it. I have memorized what I need for my plan. After you are done with it destroy it for me." She watched as Abigail's head started to fall to the side before snapping back to face Bellamy.</p>
<p>"I will go immediately and look over it." He stood and turned towards the door but stopped when Abigail spoke again.</p>
<p>From where she was hidden Echo could tell something was going on with Abby. She was not the person she was a moment ago. What had Bellamy done to her.</p>
<p>"Thank you Bellamy, I know Clarke will come around and be happy that we saved her from those people and my baby girl will finally have someone worthy of her that loves her." Echo stiffened at her words. What did Abigail mean. Abigail's head fell to the side as she fell asleep.</p>
<p>She made her way to the door and got there at the same time as Bellamy. She looked at him and could tell his cheeks were red. Weather that was from embarrassment or anger she did not know.</p>
<p>"Do not mention that last part to anyone. She is loopy because of the extra dose of drugs I gave her. I didn't want her to remember that she told me that much." He told her as they made their way out of Medbay.</p>
<p>"If that is what you wish." she said and he looked at her again.</p>
<p>"I hold no feelings for Clarke anymore. I thought I did once we came down here to the ground. We have an interesting past to say the least and I thought that since we were leading the original 100 together I may have a chance. It has been made clear though that those feelings were not reciprocated so don't worry about that." She nodded at his words, not trusting her voice right now.</p>
<p>"Follow me." He said as they cleared the last door of Medbay and took a left.</p><hr/>
<p>She followed as he led them to what she assumed would be the chancellor's office. She had gathered plenty of information to give to Heda. If she had actual proof of this then it would be better. She knew Clarke needed to know about this; she just didn't know how she was going to let her know without abandoning her post. It would look too suspicious to leave the next day after she arrived. A problem for later she thought as they came to a stop in front of a door that had "Chancellor Griffin" on it.</p>
<p>He pushed open the door and she followed inside. She stood by the door as he made his way to the cabinet. She watched and listened as he followed Abigail's directions. He pulled out the drawer and lifted the stuff inside and then lifted the book out of it. He returned the drawer with everything inside of it as he turned to her and smiled as he raised the book.</p>
<p>"Just where she said it would be. Now let's have a look shall we." he said as he came to stand beside her.</p>
<p>She watched as he opened the clasp on the journal and flipped through the pages. She wasn't seeing anything that would say that Abby was up to something. From what she could catch this looked like a personal journal more than anything. He kept flipping through the pages when he finally stopped on a page that had a very interesting heading. The top of the page read "Chemicals" and they looked at each other.</p>
<p>They continued to scan the pages reading through Abigail's notes. They both came to the same realization that Abby was hellbent on getting Clarke back by any means necessary. They came to the end of her notes when they hit a blank page. He closed the book and looked up at her.</p>
<p>"This is not good. We need to go see Kane now." She nodded and followed him out the door.</p>
<p>Her mind was racing as they exited the metal structure and she covered her eyes as the sunlight hit her. She looked up at the sky and noticed that they had been inside longer than she thought. The sun was not at its peak for the day. So much time had been spent learning information that she could care less right now. She had information now and she just needed to contact Heda somehow. Her thoughts were interrupted as they entered another building and two heads snapped up as they entered.</p>
<p>"Kane, we have a problem." He spoke to the man at the table as he raised the journal for them to see. She watched as both of their faces dropped and their eyes widened.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Cave eight miles from Mount Weather</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Midday</strong>
</p>
<p>Clarke awoke from her slumber pleasantly surprised to have not had any more dreams. Damn I need to get some more of those herbs, she thought as she scrubbed the sleep from her eyes. She looked around the cave and saw that no one was there and the fire had started to dwindle out.</p>
<p>She got up from where she was laying and started to pack her things. She found the roll of cloth she stored her weapons in and unrolled it. She took the small daggers out first and sheathed them in the corresponding spots on her jacket. She grasped her sword and slung it over her shoulder and adjusted it to where it felt comfortable. She was amazed at how easy she had taken to the feeling of the added weight of her weapons. It made her feel more secure than the gun had ever done for her.</p>
<p>She rolled the cloth back up and stuffed it back in the bag she carried with her other belongings. She slung the pack over her opposite shoulder and adjusted it accordingly. Once she made sure everything was in order she moved toward the fire and made sure it was out by stomping the remaining embers till it was no more.</p>
<p>She moved out of the cave and shielded her eyes from the rays of light that trickled through the leaves. She scanned the surrounding area and noticed that not far from the entrance stood the rest of her party, the only difference was that they had horses. She wondered where they had come from, but probably could guess. She smiled at the thought of having horses because that means she would reach TonDC quicker than she had anticipated.</p>
<p>She started to make her way over to them when Elanta noticed her first. She smiled and nodded at her and tapped Aslena on her shoulder and pointed in her direction. Aslena turned and looked at her with a neutral face. She stopped when she started to make her way over to her. Her mind replayed the conversation they had the night before and she stiffened.</p>
<p>"<em>Wanheda</em>, it is good to see you. You look better. I am guessing the herbs worked?" She made eye contact with the woman.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha. Mochaf</em>." She watched as Aslena pulled something from behind her back.</p>
<p>"Here is some meat from this morning's meal. You were still asleep when I returned." She took the food and thanked her as she took a bite.</p>
<p>"So where did the horses come from?" She asked as they made their way towards the rest of the group.</p>
<p>"A nearby village. Elanta and I retrieved them this morning on our hunt. They were more than willing to help out <em>Wanheda</em>." Clarke stiffened and had so many questions run through her mind.</p>
<p>"How? I know word spreads fast among your people but I thought it wouldn't spread this quickly." She asked as she stood by a tree eating the rest of her meal.</p>
<p>"Well, you knew people would watch the door otherwise you wouldn't have put that symbol on the door." Clarke nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Well when we arrived at the village we arrived at the same time as a couple scouts did. They were talking about the symbol in the door so I knew they had seen it. I followed them to the leaders hut and the leader recognized who I was and invited me inside to hear the report." Clarke raised an eyebrow at her as Elanta came over.</p>
<p>"The scouts reported seeing the symbol for Wanheda on the mountain door along with seeing you leaving the area shortly before they arrived. The leader asked me at this point if I had come across <em>Wanheda</em>."</p>
<p>"What did you tell her? I don't need any more eyes than necessary right now." Clarke's voice went deadly calm as she spoke.</p>
<p>"I told them on orders of <em>Heda</em> that I was escorting <em>Wanheda</em> to her camp and that you were in need of horses. I trust the leader of this village, <em>Wanheda</em>, he has done nothing but be loyal to <em>Heda</em> since she ascended to her role." Clarke still was on edge. She trusted Aslena to an extent but still was being cautious.</p>
<p>"This village is where Anya and I would come to lay low after a mission. No one had been able to find us when we went to this leader." Those words calmed her down. If Anya trusted this leader then she could as well.</p>
<p>"Well if both you and Anya trusted him then I should not be worried. Forgive me Aslena, you know you can never let your guard down sometimes." Aslena nodded at her as Clarke pushed herself off the tree.</p>
<p>"Now we should probably head for TonDC. Having the horses now should have us arriving by nightfall correct?" Clarke made her way over to the horses and one came up to her immediately. She stuck her hand out to its nose and it neighed at her in greeting.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha</em>, I had one of the scouts from the village go ahead of us to inform Heda of when we will be arriving." Clarke attached her bag to the saddle then pulled herself into it.</p>
<p>"Good. Better to have them watching out for us then for us to take them by surprise. I really would love to avoid conflict at all costs right now." Aslena nodded as everyone else mounted up to leave their camp site.</p><hr/>
<p>Right as they were leaving Octavia came over to her and handed her the radio saying she was being asked for by Kane. Oh shit what now she thought as she took it.</p>
<p>"Kane?" she said over the radio.</p>
<p>"Clarke, I have some news that you should know. It is about the chancellor." Clarke stilled as he spoke.</p>
<p>"What has she done now? It has only been a day since I left." she said through the radio.</p>
<p>"Nothing yet. Bellamy met with her today and he was informed of something. I'll let him explain."</p>
<p>"Hey Clarke."</p>
<p>"Bellamy, I would say it is nice to hear from you but I don't think I am going to like this am I?" she said moving closer to the rest of her party. She trusted Aslena enough to fill her in on this.</p>
<p>"Probably not. Who all is with you?" he asked.</p>
<p>"Octavia, Lincoln, <em>Aslena kom Sankru and Elanta kom Trikru</em>. Aslena is one of <em>Heda's</em> generals sent by her to escort me to TonDC. I trust her Bellamy." She locked eyes with Aslena and saw the nod come from her.</p>
<p>"Okay. I met with your mother last night because she requested me to come see her. I brought Echo with me to see how she would react and she acted about how you would think." Clarke pinched her nose.</p>
<p>"Please tell me Echo didn't kill her."</p>
<p>"No <em>Wanheda</em>, I didn't even though she deserved more than a little cut for how she spoke about <em>Heda</em> and you." She heard the familiar growl of Echo come across the radio. She didn't know how to feel about her answer but she took it for what it was.</p>
<p>"Good. I can't afford anything to happen till the time is right. Continue Bellamy." she said ready to hear the rest.</p>
<p>"After Echo made her opinion very clear I made it look like I sent her away when in reality she hid in the shadows so she could have something to report to The commander. Your mother went on about how she thought you were still being held captive and being brainwashed. She said that she had been experimenting with one of those gas grenades you had found. She said that she wanted my help to save you by gassing the whole camp to knock them out and get you back." Clarke could feel the rage starting to take over again.</p>
<p>"She started to be in pain more so she asked me to administer some of her pain meds that were being given to her by IV drip. I may or may not have given her an extra dose to make her loopy and not remember the next part of our conversation." Clarke's laugh broke through the rage at the thought of her mother being drugged out of her mind.</p>
<p>"After that she started to drift into the clouds so to speak and told me that she had a hidden journal that had all of her notes on the gas and a map of TonDC in it with details of where to strike the most effectively. Clarke I am worried that once she is able too she will try something. You have to fill in the commander when you see her." Clarke looked around at the gathered people.</p>
<p>Octavia looked ready to hurt someone, Lincoln was stoic and in thought, Aslena and Elanta were quiet but she could tell that Aslena wanted blood. Clarke couldn't blame her really as Abby was plotting to break the alliance.</p>
<p>"What did she tell you to do with the journal?" She asked.</p>
<p>"Study it then burn it. She said that she didn't need it anymore as she already had her plan and everything she needed to know memorized."</p>
<p>"Okay don't let that journal leave your custody. My mother is still laid up in Medbay and wont be able to leave for a week and if I know Jackson she won't leave till that week is over." She heard the agreement and chuckle come from the radio.</p>
<p>"Then in two days' time Echo I need you to leave and come to TonDC and bring that journal with you. If anyone asks, say your presence was requested by <em>Heda</em> and I. Kane you will need to make sure she is able to leave without issue. I know her leaving so soon will cause suspicion. Bellamy keeps doing what you are doing, I don't need her to think we have caught on to her plans just yet. I need her to dig her own grave or at the very least continue to dig it deeper. I will bring this information to Heda as quickly as I can. Thank you for informing me." She let go of the button and took a deep breath.</p>
<p>"No problem Clarke. Safe travels and may we meet again." She heard Kane say before the radio died.</p>
<p>"<em>Wanheda</em>, I know this may not be my place but why do you have to wait to deal with your mother?" Aslena asked.</p>
<p>"Well <em>Skaikru</em> ran differently while we were in space than how I ran things when we came down. Up there was a council that elected someone to the role of Chancellor. Basically this person was over a council that made the decision for our people. My mother was elected to the role when they came down here and the previous one went crazy. In order to remove a Chancellor from their position they had to commit a crime that was considered to threaten the lives of the Ark. And if said accusations were brought up you had to have a solid reason to remove this person. I knew she was up to something and that she hated Heda for some reason I just didn't have my proof. Now we have some evidence of what she is up to." Aslena was quiet as she listened. She knew that she had just given her a lot of information to process.</p>
<p>"So Clarke, because your mother was elected to that position you have to play your hand carefully and make sure you have the evidence and support of your people to make your move." Clarke nodded.</p>
<p>"So complicated. It would be so much easier just to challenger her like we do. Then you could be done and over with her games." Clarke chuckled at her. She wasn't wrong but she knew that wouldn't go down well but she needed to do things different than they did on the ark. She just didn't have an idea of how to go about that yet.</p>
<p>"I'll keep that in mind, Aslena but yes you are correct that would be easier and she may force my hand but I particularly would like to avoid killing my own mother if I can." She turned away from the rest of them and ready herself for the ride ahead.</p>
<p>"My apologies Clarke I did not mean to upset you." Aslena said as she came up next to her.</p>
<p>"It is okay. My parents are just a touchy subject, especially my mother." Aslena nodded at her.</p>
<p>"I would assume you are wanting to get to TonDC before nightfall now?"</p>
<p>"<strong>Sha</strong>, you wouldn't happen to know a faster way would you?" Aslena smiled at her.</p>
<p>"I hope you can keep up." She said as she took off.</p>
<p>Clarke laughed and spurred her horse in motion to keep up with her. The rest of her party was caught off guard initially but managed to recover fast enough to not fall behind.</p>
<p>
  <strong>TonDC</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Three hours later</strong>
</p>
<p>The gates of TonDC came into view just as the sun was beginning its descent for the night. Clarke could tell her horse was starting to tire. She had learned from Lexa that the horses down here had been bred specially to do sprints like this, but that was nearing their limit before they would need rest. They slowed their pace as they approached the gates. Aslena took lead on doing the talking. Clarke was still unsure if word had spread about her speech to the army in fluent Trigedasleng. Clarke was surprised when Aslena told them that there was no need to hand over their weapons. Lexa had apparently sent word to the guards to let them pass and to come find her upon arrival.</p>
<p>The gates swung open and they made their way inside. Clarke still could smell the after effect of the bomb being dropped on this place but the one good thing to come out of it was that the crater that was left had been cleaned and flattened to form a fighting pit per say. It had become a hot commodity among the warriors. It was centralized in the middle of the town and when it was not in use it acted as a secondary training ground. They passed through the middle of the town and Clarke heard the people whispering about her. She caught the name Wanheda multiple times as she passed through the market. Everyone seemed to come from all places to greet her and all of them wanted to touch her like she was some kind of god. Well technically the spirit that she was not linked to was but that was beside the point.</p>
<p>She had adopted a face and it was in full effect just to curb her rising nervousness with all the attention being directed at her. She should have expected this in all honesty but she was still not used to it. She was glad to finally come to a halt at a private stable that had been built for the commander and the generals. Her party dismounted and followed Aslena to where Lexa's tent was. Normally Clarke knew netting's like this would have taken place in the bunker like, war room but it was still the one thing that was still being uncovered.</p>
<p>She didn't know what to expect as they made their way to Lexa's tent. She was unsure of what she would say when she finally came face to face with her love again. The nagging pain from the choice made at the mountain still lingered even if she knew it was the correct choice. Her mind had made peace with it because she was the one that basically made the choice for her. Her heart was another matter altogether. Wanheda had given her a reason for this but something still hadn't set right. She couldn't tell if it was because their relationship was still so new or if there was something else behind it entirely.</p>
<p>The sudden stop brought her out of her own thoughts as they arrived outside Lexa's tent. Indra was outside to greet them with her normal gruff façade. Clarke searched her eyes for any sign of what she could expect but found no answers.</p>
<p>"<em>Wanheda</em>, it is good to see you are still alive. <em>Heda</em> is waiting inside for you and your party. Follow me." Clarke could have sworn she saw a glimmer of relief hidden behind her eyes but if it was there it was gone as quickly as it appeared.</p>
<p>Her party followed Indra inside the tent and she couldn't shake the sense of Deja Vu. She looked around the tent and realized it was almost identical to the one that had been set up outside the walls of Camp Jaha. In the middle of the room near the back wall sat the woman that never left her mind. She sat there on her throne looking across the crowd that was entering. She noticed that Lexa had her favorite dagger out and was toying with it. What was she nervous about?</p>
<p>She locked eyes with her love and she saw the worry and nerves hidden behind those green orbs. She tried to convey that she was okay as much as she could and it must have worked because she caught the small change in her face. She saw the small smile that quickly vanished and the quick sign of relief in her eyes. She was shook from her thought when Lexa spoke.</p>
<p>"So the mighty <em>Wanheda</em> has decided to grace me with her presence. It is an honor for her to come to my camp. You will find that you and your people are welcome here in TonDC." Clarke had to hide the smirk that was threatening to appear on her face. Lexa was always one for dramatics she had learned.</p>
<p>"<em>Sha Heda. Ai lid in word kom maun defeat en lid in hopes kom furthering Skaikru place among bilaik kru."( Yes Commander. I bring word of the mountain defeat And bring hopes of the furthering Sky People place among your people).</em> Clarke saw the eyebrows raise on Indra, Aslena, and Elanta and she just smirked.</p>
<p>"<em>Den Ai would biyo a feast ste raun order. Oso na kom op together moron en celebrate fall kom maun. Oso na discuss Skaikru place deyon after dei de."(Then I would say a feast is in order. We will come together tomorrow and celebrate the fall of the mountain. We will discuss the sky people place the day after that.)</em> She could see she was looking around at all of them when she felt green eyes lock on to her.</p>
<p>"<em>Ste der anything else dei de Ai should na made aware kom"(Is there anything else that I should be made aware of.)</em> Clarke should have known this was coming. Lexa was good about reading the room.</p>
<p>"Yes <em>Heda</em>. I bring word from Camp Jaha about the Chancellor Griffin." She watched as Lexa made the slightest movement on her throne.</p>
<p>"Well then. The rest of you are dismissed. I will speak to <em>Wanheda</em> alone." She looked around and everyone nodded at Lexa and took their leave. Aslena made eye contact with her and handed her a pouch. She raised an eyebrow and Aslena just smirked at her and pointed to her head. Ah more herbs. She silently thanked her and let her leave to do whatever she was going to do. She tucked the herbs into her waistband and turned back around to face Lexa.</p><hr/>
<p>She was not expecting for Lexa to be standing right in front of her. Her senses came alive at the smell of earth and pine that was always permeating around Lexa. She looked into those deep forest green eyes of her love and she could see the unanswered questions swirling around in them. Her eyes dropped to her love's lips then back up to her eyes silently asking a question. She got her answer when she was pulled closer to Lexa and felt her lips crashing with her own. She had missed this so much and she was so glad that she was here right now and not dealing with her mother.</p>
<p>"Hello Clarke." Lexa said as she pulled back slightly and rested her forehead against hers.</p>
<p>"Hello to you too." she quipped back at her which caused a smile to appear on Lexa's face.</p>
<p>"I am so sorry I had to leave you at the mountain. I was worried I would never see you again. I almost came back to help you but I knew my people would not approve." Clarke saw the hurt and grief in her eyes.</p>
<p>"Hey, I know why you did it and we discussed this remember. I won't lie and say that it didn't affect me. My head understood why it just took my heart longer to catch up." Clarke took her hand and led her to the table that was close by.</p>
<p>"I have a feeling you have a lot to tell me, Ai hodnes." She took a breath as they sat down not knowing where to begin.</p>
<p>"Where should I start because there is a lot and I am not proud of what I had to do in there."</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lexa POV</strong>
</p>
<p>Lexa could see the pain and sorrow in the blue eyes of her love. She could see that the normal brightness in her eyes had gone dull. Lexa knew that whatever had happened inside the mountain was haunting Clarke. She felt her heart chip as she looked at her love.</p>
<p>"How did you get inside the mountain?" Lexa figured this was the easiest place to start.</p>
<p>"Well after you left, I headed for the reaper tunnels. I found Octavia and Lincoln which surprised me. I thought they would have left when you sounded the horn." Lexa knew what she was talking about. Indra had filled her in on what she had told Octavia and she was right Octavia would have to prove herself again if she still wanted to be Indra's second. The only reason she hadn't been banished was because she was Clarke's general which overrode her role as a Sekon.</p>
<p>"I was pissed and hurt when I arrived there. I tried to bust my way through the door by Octavia stopped me and I almost attacked her. I could feel the anger building and it almost caused me to attack Bellamy when he opened the door. I had my sword at his throat." She felt Clarke's hands start to sweat as she spoke. She gave her a reassuring squeeze to let her know that she was safe.</p>
<p>"Once we got inside we made our way to meet someone that Bellamy said could help us. Along the way I connected with Wanheda again and had to fight my way through their guards." Lexa saw the cloud come over Clarke.</p>
<p>"There was so much blood Lexa. The odd part was that since I was connected to Wanheda, I enjoyed spilling their blood. My instincts came alive and every life I took seemed to fuel me and make me faster and stronger. By the time we made it to our destination I was covered in the blood of the mountain men. My blonde hair was now red and every part of my skin that was not covered by clothing was covered in their blood." She saw Clarke look down at her hands and arms and she quickly pulled Clarkes' gaze to meet her own.</p>
<p>"Clarke, listen to me. You did what you had to do to survive. Wanheda is a mystery to all of us. The commander's spirit is similar but my combat ability comes from years off training and passed down experience from the previous commanders. Becca spoke with me and tried to give me any knowledge she could but there wasn't much." She saw Clarke processing her words and they seemed to offer some solace for the moment.</p>
<p>"Thank you Lexa." She felt Clarke give her hand a squeeze before she took a breath and continued.</p>
<p>"The man Bellamy took us to was a former president of the mountain. Bellamy tried to get him to help us but of course he wouldn't. We took him with us as we made our way to the security room. He was the one that came up with the idea to offer you the deal not his son." Lexa had known that the deal came from somewhere but she wasn't aware that there were multiple people in charge there.</p>
<p>"We made it inside the command center and Octavia went to take one of the mountain people that helped us get inside to Level five so she could breath. The suit she was in was running out of air. We got the system online and I saw where they had my people trapped. They were chained to the wall and in the middle of the room they had Wick on the table drilling into him for his bone marrow." Lexa raised an eyebrow at her.</p>
<p>"They were using it to cure their people. Our bone marrow was able to bond with theirs and allowed them to survive outside the mountain. We may have killed their generators but if I had left with you and turned my back on my people we would still have to worry about them eventually. You were right to not trust them Lexa." She didn't know how to feel about this news. She knew that they had taken Clarke's people as well but the gravity of why hit her like a Pauna.</p>
<p>"Once I saw this I talked to Cage who was the acting president and tried to offer him a deal of his own. Release my people and he would live. He refused so I took matters into my own hands. I tried again by telling that I had his father and I would kill him if he didn't take the deal." Lexa knew where this was going and she hated it.</p>
<p>"He was a fool wasn't he?" Clarke nodded at her.</p>
<p>"I made it a point for him to hear as I shot his father. I had to have him know I was serious. I watched as he made his way to where my people were being held and somehow my mother was there as well. She apparently had been captured at some point along with Kane and their guards. How that happened I had no idea but he pulled my mother off the wall and strapped her to the table and started drilling into her." Lexa was trying to figure out how they were captured when she saw the tears start to form in Clarke's eyes.</p>
<p>"I watched as my mother writhed in pain Lexa. I was out of options now so I had Monty go into their computers to find a way to reverse turbines to pull the outside air in. It didn't take him long and once he had it ready I tried one more time to reason with him. I didn't want to take anymore lives, Lexa. He said that he could not let us go because it would mean that his people would die. That was the last straw." She listened as Clarke took a breath.</p>
<p>"I caused mass genocide Lexa, I pulled the lever that reversed the turbines and killed them all. Men, women and children were killed because their leader chose to not take a deal. I ended all of their lives with a pull of a lever. 381 innocent lives slain at my hands." Lexa knew that war had unintended lives lost but she hated that Clarke had taken so many lives since she had landed here on the ground.</p><hr/>
<p>She watched as Clarke pulled out a pouch that was attached to her right hip. Clarke opened the bag and pulled out a rectangle shaped object, a pin and a watch. She had no idea what these items were and Clarke must have seen the confusion on her face.</p>
<p>"Before we left the security room I sent Lincoln to stop Emerson from coming to stop us. He wound up going after Cage and killing him." She watched as Clarke pointed to the watch and pin.</p>
<p>"Lincoln brought these back to me as proof of death. Cage is dead and the last vial of the drug they used on your people are gone. Emerson escaped and we don't know where he went but he shouldn't be able to use the mountain against us." Clarke picked up the rectangular shaped object.</p>
<p>"I had Monty transfer all of the security access and codes to this card here. The only person that can access Mount Weather now is me. The mountain is offline and I am the only one that can turn it back on." Clarke stretched her hand out towards her with the card.</p>
<p>"It is only right if you hold on to this. The mountain can not be turned back on without my code and that card. If you have the card then no one can force me to open it because it requires both for it to work." Lexa flipped the card back and forth between her fingers. How so much power could be held by a single object was beyond her but she saw this for what it was. Trust.</p>
<p>"That is a wise plan Clarke. Thank you for telling me. What of the people inside the mountain?" Lexa saw the cloud return and she hated herself immediately.</p>
<p>"They are still inside on level 5. All of the bodies of the mountain men are still there as they lay. I was hoping that we could at least burn the bodies of the innocent. It won't be pretty but it is the right thing to do." Lexa thought for a moment as to why Clarke wanted to do this then she realized that it meant something to Clarke.</p>
<p>"We can do that when we retrieve what medical equipment your people require from the mountain. You are right the innocent deserve a chance to reach the afterlife. The sins of their leader should not affect them more than it already has." she saw the relief wash over Clarke. She smiled at this sight. She knew that going back there would affect her again and this time she would be there to help her through it.</p>
<p>"Thank you Lexa. You should also know that the door now bears the mark of Wanheda." Lexa had heard rumors that some of the villages close to the mountain had seen the mark. She knew word was spreading quickly of what happened there and she knew that it would reach Azgeda eventually and she feared what would come once it did.</p>
<p>"My scouts reported something along those lines. Why did you do that? You had to know that word would travel." Clarke chuckled at her.</p>
<p>"Lets just say Echo made a good point. I had to let everyone know what happened there so they would believe me. Speaking of her, I thought she wasn't to be trusted." Lexa shrank under the gaze that was being thrown at her. She shook her head trying to regain control but it was to no avail. Clarke held something over her with that gaze and it was fighting to her but strangely attractive at the same time.</p>
<p>"I still don't trust her but she was the best choice for the assignment. I sent her to keep an eye on your mother. Someone that I respect told me that if I ever came across her that I should try to suede her to my side. I saw my opportunity and took it. I am sorry that I sprung that on you without warning." She was not expecting the smile that she was greeted with.</p>
<p>"Well it's a good thing that Bellamy was there. He basically vouched for her saying that she saved his life inside the mountain. Honestly I think he is attracted to the woman. I allowed her to come but not before I threatened her of course." Lexa laughed at the image present to her.</p>
<p>"Now Aslena and her Sekon was a welcome surprise. I hope you didn't punish Elanta harshly when she delivered my message." Lexa shook her head at her.</p>
<p>"No I didn't. I knew she most likely would get noticed. She is still young but I made a promise to Anya to look out for her. So I made her Aslena's <em>Sekon</em>. I sent them to escort you here. From the looks of it you and Aslena bonded."</p>
<p>
  <strong>Clarke POV</strong>
</p>
<p>Clarke couldn't believe what she had just heard. Lexa made a promise to look out for Elanta. She had so many questions running through her head and Lexa was right she did bond somewhat with Aslena.</p>
<p>"Lexa is Elanta related to Anya? She looks exactly like her."</p>
<p>"Yes Clarke. She is the younger sister of hers. I have known her since Anya became one of my generals. She made me promise that if her fight ever ended I would look out for her." Clarke saw the brief flash of emotion cross her face.</p>
<p>"Hey. It's okay Lexa I know that she meant a lot to you. Apparently she meant a lot to everyone. Aslena told me that you would send her and Anya on missions together. The difficult ones at that." Lexa smiled at her.</p>
<p>"Yes that would be correct. They were the best unit I had. They were efficient and worked well together. They became like sisters over time and became inseparable when they were together." She heard Lexa chuckle at memories.</p>
<p>"Anya touched many lives didn't she." Clarke asked as she remembered her interaction with the woman. She was starting to feel the guilt creep in when she felt a hand being intertwined with her own.</p>
<p>"Yes she did You made an impression on her Clarke. After the meeting on the bridge she came back pissed off. I had just arrived and she pulled Aslena and I aside to brief us. She saw potential in you and believed that you were being truthful with her and that all you wanted was peace. She was pissed off that your people caused it to go bad and forced her hand." Clarke smiled as Lexa spoke. She could feel the tears start to form.</p>
<p>"She saw something in you Clarke. You are special Clarke and she saw it. It is hard to make Anya flustered and you managed to accomplish that. She was so conflicted on what to do because she knew that you meant what you said but your people attacked first. If Tristian hadn't forced my hand I would have allowed her to try and offer you a deal. It wouldn't have been an easy one and would have required you to turn over the shooter but it would have secured you peace." Clarke felt her breath hitch as her words sank in. She would have had to turn over Jasper but she would have had peace. Would she had been able to make that call at that point. She would never know because it didn't happen and she wound up having to wipe out 300 <em>Trikru</em>.</p>
<p>"Well that definitely is something. Good to know." Clarke shook her head trying to clear the guilt from it.</p><hr/>
<p>"Now for the last bit of news I have to fill you in on." Clarke switched from Clarke to her <em>Skaiheda</em> persona and she saw the realization hit Lexa.</p>
<p>"What news do you bring, <em>Skaiheda</em>?" Clarke smirked. Of course Lexa would notice her switch.</p>
<p>"Bellamy was approached by Chancellor Griffin the night I left. She asked for his help with something but he wasn't able to find out that night. Earlier today he met with her again and she told him that she still believed that I was being held against my will by you. She somehow managed to get her hands on one of the gas grenades we found and she had been experimenting with it." Clarke saw the anger flash across Lexa's face.</p>
<p>"She asked for his help to gas this whole place and try to Save me. He wound up drugging her so she would not remember the next part of the conversation. Oh I should also mention that Echo threatened her before all this started. She already is looking out for both of us. It would seem she really is trying." Lexa nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Echo was asked to leave after the threat but she really didn't leave. She melted into the shadows like your people like to do and observed the whole conversation."</p>
<p>"Good, I will need to speak with her soon." Clarke nodded at her.</p>
<p>"Well once the drugs took effect and the Chancellor was starting to lose track of what she was saying, Bellamy was informed that she kept a journal of her plan and all her notes. She told him to retrieve and memorize it as she already had. He was told that once he was done with it to burn it that they couldn't afford it to fall into the wrong hands." Lexa got up and started to pace taking all the information in as she spoke.</p>
<p>"He left once the Chancellor passed out and went to her office with Echo. They retrieved the journal and looked through it. They brought it to Kane immediately and they radioed me to fill me in. The chancellor will be in MedBay for at least a week. We have that long to come up with a plan Heda." She watched as Lexa paced back and forth as she took in the information. She was amazed as she watched. Lexa was the image of a strong leader that looked at every angle.</p>
<p>"This is definitely worrying news, <em>Skaiheda</em>. The chancellor will need to be dealt with but we can start on a plan tomorrow. It is late and I would imagine that you are hungry." As if on cue her stomach growled loudly and it caused Lexa to laugh.</p>
<p>"I'll take that as a yes." Lexa moved to the entrance of her tent and sent one of the guards to retrieve food for the both of them.</p><hr/>
<p>Lexa came back and sat down at the table with her. Clarke took in her face as she watched the Heda face disappear and Lexa returned in front of her. She smiled as her features softened and she felt pride in the fact that she was the only one that got to see this side of her.</p>
<p>"Now, while we wait. Tell me about your journey here. Did everything go okay?" Clarke smiled at the sincerity in her words.</p>
<p>"Yes it did actually. Well beside the nightmare but overall it went well."</p>
<p>"Nightmare?" She saw the concern on Lexa's face and it caused her heart to skip a beat.</p>
<p>"Yeah. It was so real and it caused me to suddenly awake. I wound up leaving the cave we were at and climbing into a tree." Lexa chuckled at that image.</p>
<p>"I fought against the ghosts coming for me, blaming me for everything that I had done since I came down here. Eventually Aslena and Octavia found me and helped me through it. That was what the pouch Aslena handed me is for. It is herbs that help with the dreams." She saw the recognition cross her face as the guard made his presence known.</p>
<p>She immediately was hit with the smell of the food and it made her stomach growl again. She hadn't realized that she had not had a proper meal in days. She thanked Lexa as she set the food down in front of her. She heard Lexa tell the guard to send a bath in an hour and she smiled at her again. She realized that she had never smiled so much before. She was sure that her face stayed that way when she was around Lexa.</p>
<p>"I hope the food meets your satisfaction." Lexa said as she took a bite.</p>
<p>Clarke cut a piece of the meat off and ate it. She let out a moan as the flavor attacked her senses. She looked over at Lexa and saw a blush on her cheeks.</p>
<p>"It tastes so good. Make sure to thank the chef." She said as she took another bite.</p>
<p>They fell into a comfortable routine as they ate. They talked about the rest of her journey to TonDC. It was a welcome moment compared to the last couple of days. She couldn't help but think if this would become a normal occurrence between them. She was glad to be back with her love but she knew that their relationship would never be normal. They both had to put their people first but when they were alone it was just them and no one else. Clarke pushed her plate away when she felt herself lose the ability to eat anymore. For the first time in days she was full and happy.</p>
<p>"Is there someplace I can change?" She asked Lexa but before she got her answer a couple of guards asked to enter. Lexa allowed it and they entered carrying a tub full of steaming water. Clarke was surprised that they had filled it before they came in. She was sure that it would have been easier to do it once they were her but oh well.</p>
<p>Lexa told them to put it behind a curtain that Clarke recognized what the side of the tent reserved for all of her gear. She thanked the guards as they passed and she stood from her chair and looked over at Lexa. An idea came to her and she blushed but shook it away quickly.</p>
<p>"Care to join me?" She asked before she lost her nerve. Lexa smiled at her and took her hand.</p>
<p>They made their way toward the tub and shed their clothing. Lexa entered the steaming water first and settled into the tub. Clarke was surprised at how big the thing was. It was huge and she felt a twinge of guilt for the guards that brought it in her. She was pulled out of her thoughts as Lexa grabbed her hand and started to pull her in. Clarke stepped into the tub carefully and set down in front of Lexa. She felt arms wrap around her and she let out a sigh as she relaxed into the arms of her love. She leaned her head back and she was greeted by a kiss on her forehead.</p>
<p>"I am glad that you are safe Clarke. If you hadn't returned I don't know what I would have done. You mean so much to me and I promise that I will do everything I can to protect you. No one will harm you as long as I am alive. Your needs are my own and I will do whatever I can to make sure you have a life down here." Clarke felt the tears form at the emotion being shown by Lexa. What did she ever do to deserve this kind of love from someone. She turned her head and pulled Lexa into a kiss.</p>
<p>"Thank you Lexa. I will do the same for you. You deserve to be happy. You give so much for you people you should be allowed to have something for yourself. I want this to continue between us. I haven't ever felt what we share before but I am glad I am now." Lexa smiled at her as they enjoyed the warmth of the water.</p>
<p>Before Clarke realized it she drifted off while still in the tub. Lexa heard the steady breathing of her love and smiled. She relaxed readjusting to make sure Clarke didn't fall under the water. She stayed there holding Clarke afraid to let go. So many things could have gone wrong at the mountain and she knew that they were lucky that nothing had happened. She hurt for Clarke and the things she had to do to save her people. Clarke was strong for someone that was not born of the ground. Her angel of the night sky and the spiritual body of Wanheda. She smiled at how Clarke had managed to keep her people alive against all odds and she was glad that she had broken down all of the walls that she had put up over the years. She knew that whatever came next they would face together.</p>
<p>She felt the water go cold after about thirty minutes. She woke Clarke and they quickly washed themselves. She helped Clarke out of the tub as she was still groggy from her nap. She found the clothes she had set aside for the both of them and she helped Clarke get dressed and she laughed at how clumsy Clarke was when she was tired. It was cute in a way. They eventually were changed into their clothes for the night and she led Clarke to her bed on the other side of the room. She pulled the covers back and pulled Clarke in with her. She smiled as Clarke immediately melted into her side and wrapped her arms around her.</p>
<p>"Sleep now <em>Ai hodnes</em>, you are safe." She kissed the top of her head and relaxed as she matched her breathing to the steady beat of Clarke's heart. She drifted in a blissful sleep for the first night in a long while and she was grateful.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Somewhere deep in Azgeda</strong>
</p>
<p>Emerson awoke as icy water was thrown on him. He frantically looked around trying to get his bearings but quickly realized that he couldn't see anything. He felt a cloth over his eyes and started to panic. The last thing he remembered was running for his life then offering himself and information in exchange for his life.</p>
<p>"I was told you had information for me Mountain man." He heard the icy voice come from in front of him. It was like dull nails on a chalkboard.</p>
<p>"I do, but I would like to see who I am talking to." He tried to sound tough but it was difficult as he was freezing.</p>
<p>"Well that depends on if I find your information of value. If I do not I will kill you." He realized that the voice belonged to a woman.</p>
<p>"I have information on the so-called commander and her personal life." He was being careful with how he worded his words. He knew that he had no advantage besides his information.</p>
<p>"Do you know. Well we shall see about that in the coming days. Free one of his hands so he can eat." He felt someone roughly grabbing his left arm and heard the unlocking of a lock. He could tell that he was chained up by his arms against a wall. For the first time in his life he was afraid of what was to come.</p>
<p>He heard the plate land in front of him and reached out to find the food as he didn't dare take off the blind fold without being told to. He heard the chuckle come from one of the guards and a sigh come from the woman.</p>
<p>"You can remove the blindfold now." He did as he was told and saw that the guard had been dismissed.</p>
<p>"I do apologize for all of this but I have to be careful with who I allow into my kingdom." He looked up at the woman in the room with him.</p>
<p>In front of him stood a woman that had a fair complexion with scars on the sides of her face. She had long blonde hair that was pulled back behind her head. She was older he could tell but not old enough to be his grandmother. She wore heavy clothing that he desperately wished he had now. She looked like she had been through a lot in her life but there was something about her that made him want to do whatever she asked.</p>
<p>"I am Queen Nia of Azgeda. What is your name Mountain man?" He was surprised by how soft and welcoming her voice was.</p>
<p>"Emerson. I am the last of my people. That so-called commander and her bitch wiped out my people. I will do whatever it takes to get my revenge." He said as he slowly ate at the food in front of him.</p>
<p>"So the fake commander has a new bitch. Interesting. Who is this person?" he looked up at her.</p>
<p>"Her name is Clarke and she came from the sky. Her people came from the sky as well. I can tell you everything I know about them as well." He could have sworn he saw a feral smile overtake the woman's face.</p>
<p>"Thank you Emerson. I will have someone retrieve you in the morning and we can discuss more of what you have to offer." He nodded at her as she turned and left. Well that went better than expected he thought as he finished his meal.</p>
<p>Unbeknownst to him Nia was still outside the door. She felt disgusted about how nice she had just been. She hated playing nice but she knew that was the easiest way to get information from him and now she had the leverage she had been looking for since her last attempt to take out the commander failed. She smiled wickedly as she left the dungeon of her castle and made her way to her throne room, happy for once that she was a step ahead of the commander for once.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Polis</strong>
</p>
<p>Titus sat in the basement of the tower as he contemplated what to do with the boy that was unconscious in a chair. He had been brought this boy as a gift from his ally to the north. He knew that he belonged to the people that fell from the sky but he had been captured by Azgeda wandering the woods.</p>
<p>He stood from his chair and grabbed a bucket of water. He needed information and quickly. He splashed the water on the boy and he sputtered from his sleeping state.</p>
<p>"What the fuck was that?" The boy said and Titus took a step back.</p>
<p>"Where the hell am I?" The boy said as he struggled to try and free himself from his bindings.</p>
<p>"Hey I'm talking to you baldy." Titus whipped around and struck the boy with a rope.</p>
<p>"What the fuck man. What the hell was that for?" Titus already heated this boy.</p>
<p>"I need information on your people." The boy looked at him like he was speaking a different language.</p>
<p>"My people. You mean the delinquents. Well sorry to tell you but I haven't been with them for a while so I don't know what I can tell you baldy." Titus hit him with the rope again. He was going to get information even if it meant he had to hurt this boy.</p>
<p>"What is your name. Be honest with me and maybe I won't have to keep hurting you." The boy spat blood out of his mouth.</p>
<p>"My name is Murphy. You can cut that shit out with the rope. I'll tell you what I know." Titus smiled at this boy. This was going to go better than he thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I would like to thank all of you for leaving your comments, kudos, and bookmarks. This chapter is a tad bit shorter than the last few but I wanted to set up the next couple of chapters. I hope you all are enjoying this story and continue to enjoy it. I will be trying to up date this as quickly as possible but life is happening right now so yeah. But in the spirit of eveything I love all of you and I can't wait to get started on the next couple of chapters.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>TonDC</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>The next morning</strong>
</p><p>Lexa woke from her slumber as the light started to shine through the entrance to her tent. She went to move to get around when she felt a weight on her that she was not used to. She looked down and saw a mess of blonde hair splayed across her chest. She smiled as she realized who this was. Her mind drifted to the news that she received when Clarke had arrived but she was glad to have Clarke back at her side. She knew that Clarke was putting on a face to deal with what her mother was planning and she knew eventually that it would become too much and she would break.</p><p>Lexa absentmindedly ran her fingers thru the blonde locks of her love. She relaxed running over through what she had to do today. She had Lincoln's test for him to rejoin Trikru if he so chooses. His banishment had been lifted immediately after the battle and he had made sure to take care of Clarke. She owed him a debt right now that she probably could never repay. He made sure that the man from the mountain could no longer haunt Clarke and for that she was forever grateful. After that she had promised Indra to come up with a plan for Octavia to become her Sekon again. From what she had seen he was sticking to Clarke just like Octavia was. She wondered if Clarke had offered him something or if it was just because of her title and the connection to their beliefs.</p><p>She smiled at how much Indra had taken to the girl. Indra saw the promise and courage in the woman. She had heard the story of what Octavia did to try and prove herself the first time and to say she had shown guts that night was to say the least. Octavia may have not realized it then but she had earned some amount of respect from the Trikru that night. She was thinking of what she could have Octavia do to earn her place again. She came up with a plan that involved her leaving camp for two days to track and kill an animal she thought would be worthy of her place in Trikru. If Octavia was smart she would come back with the biggest animal she could find. Then she would have to face off against a warrior of Indra's choosing and if she passed that test then she would have to go against Indra herself.</p><p>She decided that this would be the best course of action for Octavia. Lincoln's reinstatement would be more testing than Octavia's. He was coming back from a banishment for disobeying her orders. She understood why he did it and after a couple of weeks she began to see it as well. She couldn't let him off scot free if he chose to rejoin the Trikru. He could always stay a part of Skaikru unless... She thought for a moment about how he was acting when he came in with Clarke yesterday. He was acting like a personal bodyguard or a general of sorts. She would have to ask Clarke later. If he did choose to rejoin Trikru then he would have to run the gauntlet.</p><p>The gauntlet or as her people called it "<em>Na uf en yuj</em>"(will power and strength) was a grueling test. The person that ran <em>Na uf en yuj</em> fought against her twelve generals. She currently only had 11 of 12 with her as she was looking for a replacement for the last Azgeda general. The last one had been killed by her when he tried to sabotage the budding alliance between her and Skaikru. Her mind wandered to Echo who was currently based in the Skaikru camp. She had already in just two days proven that she was taking her mission seriously. She defended both her and Clarke. Bellamy seems to trust her otherwise he wouldn't have filled her in on what Abigail was doing. She knew that if she made her Azgeda general it would gain her more favor with Roan. She decided that if Lincoln chose to rejoin then she would send someone immediately to bring Echo back.</p><p>She felt Clarke stir next to her and she smiled. She watched as Clarke slowly awoke and gripped her body tightly as she came back from her sleep. She was glad that Clarke did not wake throughout the night with nightmares. She chuckled softly as she heard the content sigh come from her love. The sound caused Clarke to peak at her through her hair. She let out another laugh at the sight.</p><p>"You know it's not nice for the first thing for me to wake up to is you laughing at me." Clarke murmured, her voice still raspy.</p><p>"My apologies, <em>Ai hodnes</em>." She brought her head down to Clarkes and kissed it.</p><p>"Good morning Clarke." She felt Clarke snuggle closer to her.</p><p>"What time is it?" Lexa didn't know why that mattered to her but she took an estimated guess based on the light that was coming through her tent.</p><p>"Early morning I would say about seven." She heard the sigh come from Clarke.</p><p>"Well I must say waking up next to you is nice." She felt a change in the air as Clarke looked up at her.</p><p>"Lexa, I understand why it was necessary for you to take that deal." This caught her off guard. She thought she saw some hurt that night but with how Clarke acted she thought she was fine.</p><p>"What do you mean Clarke?"</p><p>"I know we talked about the potential for a deal but I wasn't expecting it to actually happen. I must admit it hurt to see you walking away. My head, well I think it was my head Wanheda was there at that point, understood why but my heart hurt. Nothing I could have done would have prepared me for that level of hurt." She saw Clarke's attempt at humor even though this was a heavier topic.</p><p>"It took that nightmare to realize what my heart was trying to tell me." Lexa looked deep into those blue eyes.</p><p>"What would that be?" she raised an eyebrow as she looked at Clarke.</p><p>"That you are stuck with me. I can't lose you Lexa. I know we just acknowledged how we feel about each other but I feel like even with the fall of the mountain the other clans will see me not worthy if our relationship ever came out." Lexa's heart twinged with pain at Clarke's words.</p><p>"Clarke, listen to me. You do not need to worry about what the Clans think. You have proven yourself already and my people respect you otherwise they would not be calling you Wanheda without knowing that you are actually joined with her spirit. You walked into my tent and tore down walls that I had put in place for years. Whether you believe our legends or not you are the one for me. I can't lose you either Clarke." She felt Clarke reach up and wiped a tear that was threatening to escape its cage.</p><p>"I know that Lexa. I just don't want to cause you more problems than I already have." Ah, Lexa thought so that is what this was about. The push back Lexa received for backing Clarke throughout the battle</p><p>"We will deal with those together and you are worth fighting for Ai hodnes." she saw the smile appear on her face.</p><p>"Now we should get up so we can get today's business." she heard Clarke sigh and she missed the contact as she pulled herself out of the bed.</p><p>"What do we have to do today?" Clarke asked as she made her way to the other side of the tent where her clothes would be.</p><p>"Well Octavia starts her test to prove she is able to become Indra's <em>Sekon</em> again. Then Lincoln's reinstatement is next if he chooses though I must know why he is sticking closer to you <em>Wanheda</em>." She chuckled at the speed which Clarke's head whipped around at the mention of her other persona.</p><p>"I offered him to become my second general and he accepted. I told him that even if he took this offer that he could rejoin Trikru if he so chooses." Lexa nodded as she followed Clarke to put on her gear for the day.</p><p>"What would that require if I may ask. I want to learn more about your people Lexa. If I am going to be around you a lot I figure I should learn your customs. I mean I already have a very powerful spirit sharing my head so it only makes sense." Lexa chuckled at her words.</p><p>"Well we have something called <em>Na uf en yuj</em>." She saw the confusion on her face and she continued.</p><p>"Basically it is a gauntlet and it is the toughest test for my people. The person that runs this gauntlet goes up against my generals and if they make it through the gauntlet then they earn their place among our people again if they were previously banished." She saw the wheels turning behind those blue eyes and she feared what Clarke was thinking.</p><p>"Can anyone run this gauntlet or does it solely apply to those that have been banished?" Lexa stilled as she registered what Clarke was asking. Clarke felt unworthy even after taking down the mountain.</p><p>"Yes, Clarke the gauntlet is open to anyone. Not many people voluntarily ask for it. My generals were picked for a reason and everyone knows this. My generals are the best of the best and can be ruthless when it comes to fighting." She turned to face Clarke who was looking at her intently. She looked over Clarke and saw that she was wearing most of her armor. <em>Jok</em> she thought.</p><p>"When someone runs, <em>Na uf en yuj</em> all of my generals go full speed. They don't hold back and they take the person to their limits to test their will and strength. The gauntlet is not about beating my generals; it is a test of the person's will power and strength. No one is expected to best my generals. They pass the test if they beat four of my generals. No one has beaten more than that. Even if that person beats the required four you are still expected to finish the gauntlet." She watched as Clarke took in her words. She had a feeling where this was going and she did not like it.</p><hr/><p>"<em>Krei Fou ste mark gon bet, Ai keryon mate?"(So four is the mark to bet, my soul mate?)</em> Lexa didn't register the words coming from her mouth. She could feel the flame and the spirit of the commander come to life at the words.</p><p>Clarke's voice had changed tone. She looked up at Clarke and her normal bright blue eyes now had gone darker but had a tint of silver in them. She could feel Becca fighting to come forward like she was reaching out for a lost love. She felt Becca takeover her body as she was pushed back in her mind. What the hell was happening right now?</p><p>She watched as Clarke appeared next to her in her mind. She had a similar state of confusion written on her face as she realized where they were. It was like they were watching themselves but it wasn't them.</p><p>
  <em>"Ash is that you?" They both heard Becca's voice coming from Lexa's mouth.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Sha Becca it is. I have waited so long to hear your voice." Clarke was just as lost as Lexa was.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I had my suspicions but I was never able to confirm it. You are the original vessel for Wanheda just like I was for the commander's spirit?" Lexa saw the light go off in Clarke's head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Sha. I was the only one till Clarke was born. I felt this pull from the spirit that I had not felt in a long time and I was suddenly in space looking down on earth from a window. It was then I knew that another host had been chosen but was not revealed till she was on earth." She could see the wheel turning behind her love's eyes and the gasp that escaped from her made her wonder what she was thinking?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I am so glad to see you. I think we should fill in our guests. I can feel Lexa trying to get inside my head." Ash chuckled at Becca.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Clarke is doing the same but I think she is realizing a few things right now." Becca nodded at her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Lexa watched as her and Clarkes' body turned to face them and Becca and Ash appeared in front of them. She looked over at Ash and realized that she looked almost identical to Clarke. It was like she was looking at a very distant relative. She wore warrior braids that came down to the top of her ass. Her face had the tell tell signs of war and she was built like it was all she did. It was scary to look at.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'm sorry for intruding like that Lexa, but I couldn't believe what I was hearing so I had to see for myself. I know you both have questions so who would like to go first?" She looked at Clarke and could tell that she was close to bursting with words. She nodded at Clarke to let her go first.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"So you two were the first vessels of the spirit and if I had to guess you were lovers or should I say soulmates?" Both Ash and Becca smiled at her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You would be correct Clarke. When Becca first came down to earth she was seen as a sign from the gods. It was not a good time for us. We were all lucky to still be walking around on the ground. We had to wear suits as the radiation still affected my people and I was trying to blend in as normal. From the day I was born I knew that I was different. I felt like my other half was missing till Becca came from the sky. Once I laid eyes on her the spirit of Wanheda came alive and reached out to Becca and activated the dormant spirit inside of her." Ash looked over at Becca and nodded for her to continue.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I felt the change as it happened. I had always tried to figure out why my blood was black. I ran every test I could think of while I was still in space and I found no reason as to why. When I met Ash it was like I had all my answers even if I hadn't realized it at the time. We became close and I realized that I had found that one person I was supposed to be with. If it hadn't been for that damned cult we would have had more time." Lexa saw the shiver come from Becca and she knew what she was talking about. She had seen her death and it was not pretty.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"After that day, I devoted my time to trying to continue our research as much as I could. A brutal cycle had been started by that cult and I was found out shortly after. Both of us were unable to fully understand what the capabilities were of these spirits at the time. Over the years Becca watched as Commander after Commander came and went. She learned more and more after each one. I did not have the luxury as Clarke is only the second vessel for Wanheda." Lexa looked at both of them as something clicked in her mind.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"That would explain why that belief began right. That is why none of the other commanders had been able to fit into it. Wanheda was not around till Clarke." They both nodded at her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I believe it was the third commander that really believed in it first. He searched everywhere for someone that bore the spirit of Wanheda. He drove himself mad searching for it. It got to the point where the clans that were just starting to really come into play decided it would be best to remove him from power." Lexa shuddered at the memories she had been gifted of the third commander.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Every commander after him was made aware of this prophecy because I selfishly was trying to find my soulmate again. I am not proud of how it affected every commander before you Lexa. The flamkeipa's started that "Love is weakness" crap to dissuade the commanders from trying to find their soulmate. Once Clarke walked into your tent you weren't the only one that was pulled to her. It pulled me front and center like I was supposed to see something. It took till now for me to be sure of what it was." Lexa nodded as she took in the new information. She silently pulled Clarke closer as if she was needing an anchor to keep her in place.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"So from what I am gathering you both still are not fully aware of what each spirit can do because the other half was missing all this time. Now both are back, it allowed you to appear." She pointed at Ash.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"And because it has, means we may be able to fully understand them." They both nodded at Clarke, smiling at the fact that she finished Lexa's sentence for her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"So that means that the prophecy you told me about is actually right and both Clarke and I are the people foretold to either bring peace or plunge our world into chaos." She felt Clarke lean her head against her shoulder as she could feel Clarke tense as well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yes it would seem that is the case. So far you both have done well it would seem. The first test has been passed and there is peace for the moment. I fear that sooner or later the next test is coming and it is not your mother Clarke. She is a minor bump in the road so to speak." Clarke's head whipped up so fast that she almost took out Lexa's jaw.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well fuck. I guess we just continue as normal then. We have to deal with my mother eventually." Ash nodded at her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Though I think your idea is a good one Clarke and it will work. You should go for it. Remember Wanheda is there when you need her." Surprisingly Ash evaporated immediately after her final words.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Sadly Lexa, Ash is right and you know it. Bringing down the mountain was one thing but the symbol of Wanheda can only go so far. This will make it to where her status will be cemented but it will also paint a target on you Clarke."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I already figured that out. My only question is how to explain my Natblida now. It wasn't like that when I first came down here or at least it wasn't that dark till I connected with Wanheda for the first time." Lexa raised an eyebrow at her. What was she talking about?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well that does pose a problem. It will help your claim of being Wanheda and with the age you are you are unique. Since I know you won't be leaving Lexa's side it will offer some protection. I know Lexa has filled you in on some of the meaning of what being a Natblida means?" Clarke nodded at her. Lexa remembered the conversation briefly as it was done after they had greeted Abigail and Nyko.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Good. Now I know this idea of yours will expose that you are now a Natblida. It will cause some issues with your people Lexa but I know you will be able to handle it." Becca smiled at her and she was right Lexa already knew how to handle that conversation when it arose.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Is there anything else we should know Becca?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yes. When we talk like this time moves normally for us but in the outside world it moves quicker. What only seems like fifteen minutes for us is actually an hour. Indra is currently making her way to your tent to talk about Octavia. I will leave you now." She heard Becca laughing as they were pulled back to their respective bodies.</em>
</p><hr/><p>"What the actual fuck was all that?" Clarke said as she turned away from the entrance of the tent.</p><p>"Well I honestly don't know Clarke but I have a feeling that won't be the last time that happens. I am curious as to what this idea they were talking about was?" Lexa had already figured it out after putting Clarke's line of questioning together with what Ash was saying.</p><p>"Well I want to run <em>Na uf en yuj</em>." Lexa heard a gasp come from the entrance of her tent and she whipped to face who it was and saw the confusion and shock on Indra's face.</p><p>She was trying to get a read on how Indra was processing what Clarke had just asked for. Lexa knew that once it was asked for there was no going back especially now that one of the generals had heard it. She watched as Indra walked over to the table and sat down which from the look on her face she was concerned.</p><p>"Clarke… I mean <em>Wanheda</em>. I just want to make sure you understand what you just asked for. The gauntlet is not something you do because it sounds like fun. This is one of our most sacred trials. You will fight every one of Heda's generals in single combat. You win the fight by landing what would be a killing blow. This is done with real weapons so you will get hurt. Anyone that goes through this comes out with broken limbs, cuts all over their body, and their whole spirit is tested." Lexa and Clarke were stunned at the emotion being shown by Indra. Lexa was aware Clarke knew all of this but what surprised her was it seemed like Indra was worried for Clarke.</p><p>"Indra I am aware of this. I wouldn't have asked for this if I wasn't." She watched as Clarke went and sat down with Indra.</p><p>"I feel like I have more to prove to you and your people." Indra went to speak but was quickly cut off.</p><p>"Before you say anything listen to why I want to do this first." Indra nodded at her.</p><p>"Ever since I was born I was searching for a way to be accepted. Whether that was putting up with my mother to get her to notice me or it was taking part in some questionable fights on the Ark. Taking down the mountain will only get me so far. Putting the symbol for Wanheda will only go so far. I know in doing so that I have put a target on me. I need to show that I can't be easily taken down. I need to show that I belong and I want the respect that comes with passing this trial." She heard Clakre take a breath as pride swelled in Lexa.</p><p>"I know I'm the outsider, I know I'm seen as the leader of <em>Skaikru</em> already but I need to prove that I am worth something besides just that. I want to earn something for once in my life and not be seen like I was given everything." Lexa felt the confidence but also the hurt behind her words.</p><p>"Clarke I must admit I had my doubts about you when we first met. It is hard for me to speak about personal topics. You achieved something we were not able to and that has earned you respect among the Trikru. Word of what you have done is still spreading to the other clans. If you are sure this is what you want then I can't stop you. You are right it will provide what you are looking for but are sure you are ready for the toll it will take on you?" Clarke nodded at her and Lexa felt the worry rise in her chest. She knew she would have to oversee the whole thing and not get involved. The least she could is try to prepare her.</p><p>"Heda, that gauntlet has been invoked what do you say?" Indra knocked her out of stupor she was in.</p><p>"The gauntlet has been accepted and it will start tomorrow at first light. Send me the fastest rider we have and inform the generals to meet here when my guest arrives." Indra nodded as she stood and pulled Clark into a warrior's embrace.</p><p>"<em>Ste yuj Wanheda</em>." Indra said before she turned to retrieve the rider.</p><hr/><p>Lexa looked after Indra as she left. She knew it was hard for Indra to show her softer side. She appreciated what she was trying to do but she had learned quickly once Clarke had set her mind to something no one could stop her. She knew she had to prepare Clarke and now that the gauntlet had been invoked it was first priority. Anything else she had to do was now put in waiting. The gauntlet was a big thing and when it was invoked it caused everyone to stop and observe. Her mind was running through different scenarios when she felt Clarke come up next to her.</p><p>"It is okay to worry Leska. I know this puts you in a difficult position because you won't be able to help me. I have to do this and you know why. I will admit, Indra almost made me second guess myself. She threw me off with her emotion. I must know why you asked for a rider?" Lexa turned and walked back to her throne. She needed to feel grounded as she had many emotions and thoughts running rampant through her head.</p><p>"I have to have one of my newest generals return to camp. She is currently on a mission at Camp Jaha. I am in need of an Azgeda representative and she is the best candidate. She has already proven her loyalty to the both of us." Before Clarke could say anything they were joined by the rider.</p><p>
  <strong>Clarke POV</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>A few hours later</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Midday</strong>
</p><p>To say Clarke was excited for what was coming was an understatement. For the first time since she made the original deal and started her relationship with Lexa she felt like this is where she was meant to be. Lexa had sent a rider to retrieve Echo from Camp Jaha and she had arrived a few minutes ago. She was shocked at how fast she had been able to make it to TonDC but she figured this was a momentous occasion so they got here as quickly as possible. Lexa had sent word once Echo arrived for everyone to gather near the crater for an announcement.</p><p>Clarke could feel her palms start to sweat as she approached the stage that was set up near the crater. She had left Lexa's tent to go fill in her generals and she thought they both were going to try and take her away from this. Lincoln was shocked to learn that was what he would have to face if he wanted to become Trikru again. Octavia wanted to start her test but was told by Indra it would have to wait till the gauntlet was over. She looked over the crowd that had gathered and she saw excitement and wonder at what the announcement their Heda had for them. She saw Lexa standing in the middle of the stage as she walked up the steps. Everyone of the generals were behind her standing shoulder to shoulder on a raised part of the stage. Each one was different and in full battle gear.</p><p>She took her spot just behind Lexa and to her left. Lexa looked over at her and she could see the worry and pride behind her eyes but her commander face was firm in place as she turned back to the crowd.</p><p>"People of TonDC, I will make this announcement in Gonasleng so our guests that made the trip can understand what is going on." Clarke looked over to the side and was shocked to see who was there. Standing off to the side was Kane, Bellamy, Raven and Monty. They all nodded and bowed in respect at Lexa. She shook herself out of her shock and turned back to the crowd. She couldn't afford to be distracted.</p><p>"As you are all aware the mountain has been defeated." Clarke heard the roar that came from the crowd and the chant of Wanheda. Lexa let them have their moment then she raised her hand to silence the crowd.</p><p>"Yes Wanheda accomplished that feat but now she looks to prove herself even more to our people. She had asked what would be in store for Linkon, if he chose to rejoin the Trikru as his banishment had been lifted after his help in securing the defeat of the mountain." This caused a murmur to spread through the crowd but it was silenced quickly.</p><p>"I told her that in order for him to rejoin he would have to run <em>Na uf en yuj</em>. She asked what this was of course and I told her that it was basically a gauntlet run against my generals. She decided that she wanted to volunteer as the first person not born off the ground to undergo this trial." At first there was a stunned shock the crowd greeted her with, then it started slow. A chant for <em>Na uf en yuj</em> followed by <em>Wanheda</em> broke out. It became a roar that she could have sworn she would have heard from miles away.</p><p>She stole a glance at the people from <em>Skaikru</em> and she saw shock and fear written across their faces. She expected this but she would not let them talk her out of this. She needed to prove to these people that she belonged and was not just claiming a name. She saw Lexa raise her hand again and the crowd calmed once more but she could still feel the energy radiation off them.</p><p>"It is customary for the challenger to meet their opponents before the gauntlet can begin." She turned to her right and stopped at the edge of the platform in front of the first general.</p><hr/><p>"<em>Indra kom Trikru</em> step forward." A roar came from the crowd at their leader being announced. Lexa took her arm in a warriors embrace. Indra bowed at Lexa then did the same to Clarke.</p><p>"<em>Aslena kom Sankru</em> step forward." Another roar came as the long time friend of Anya came forward and repeated the actions of Indra. Lexa moved to the next one and was surprised to see one of the generals she remembered from the war council.</p><p>"<em>Darko kom Florkru</em> step forward." She watched as he stepped forward and she got a good look at the man for the first time. He was probably about 6 foot 2 inches and about 180 pounds. He was lean but toned and had chin length jet black hair that ran straight as a board. He had a tan complexion to his skin. He carried a spear strapped to his back and also attached to his sides were two hook swords. Clarke knew that if he hooked them together she would have to be careful because it would extend his range. He repeated the motions as the two previous generals. Lexa moved to the next general in line.</p><p>"<em>Guthir kom Podakru</em> step forward." A lanky man came forward. He looked like he had been on the water his whole life. He had muscle but it was not as toned as Darko. He was the definition of what Clarke imagined a pirate would look like and he stood about 5 feet 8 inches and was most likely 165 pounds. He had a scruffy beard and his hair was tucked underneath a bandana that covered the top of his brown hair. Out of the bottom of the bandana his hair ran straight down to the top of his spine. What surprised her the most was how pale he was for someone that lived near the water. He looked agile and like he spent all day running across docks. He carried a pair of curved cutlasses and from what she could see he also had daggers hidden across body. The same greetings were made and Lexa moved on to the next.</p><p>"<em>Elira kom Igranrona</em> step forward." A tall woman came forward. She had long curly black hair that came to about mid back. She was probably around 6 feet 5 inches and was probably a good 200 of pure muscle. Her skin had a honey tone to it from the constant exposure to the sun. Her thighs were the size of boulders that had been toned from the years spent on horseback. Her arms were big as well from having to wield that huge double bladed polearm that was strapped to her back. From what she could see just on appearance alone she would be able to move fast for a woman of her size and the polearm would cause problems. Lexa greeted this woman and moved on to the next.</p><p>"<em>Selia kom Yujleda</em> step forward." A woman that was probably closer to her mothers age came forward. She was about 5 feet 6 inches and around 175 pounds and was of average build. She had sandy blond hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. She had a fair complexion complexion that was touched with red like she had a very mild sunburn. She carried a spatha and a shield strapped to her back. It was not a huge shield so it provided her some protection but allowed her to move faster than some that carried a big shield.</p><p>"Falistad kom Baudalan step forward." A lumbering man came forward and she could have sworn the whole stage shook. This man towered over Lexa. He stood about 6 feet 10 inches and was a solid 250 of muscle. He had a gut to him but Clarke surmised that it was solid muscle as well. He had a dark complexion to his skin and his head was shaved. He had two massive weapons strapped to his back. One was a warhammer and a war axe that could cause massive damage. She knew that she would have to rely on her smaller stature and quickness to stand any chance of taking down this mountain of a man.</p><p>"<em>Talor kom Ouskejon</em> step forward." This man creeped her out. He was short and skinny. He was covered head to toe in blue tattoos. His hair was fine and long. It covered his whole face and came down to his shoulders. His build and height reminded her of that creature from one of her favorite book series. What was his name? Oh yea fucking Gollum. She shivered as she looked at his weapons and was surprised to only find a Falcata attached to his waste. Of all of the generals so far she worried about him the most. She could tell Lexa tried to keep him at a distance as she quickly made the greetings and moved on to the next one.</p><p>"<em>Sahir kom Trishana</em> step forward." This woman looked what she would think a hippy would look like. She reminded Clarke of someone straight from a music festival she had read about from the old world. Woodstock she believed it was called. This woman wore lighter clothing and was adorned with necklaces and bracelets that were made of Gold and silver. She was of average height and build she had a darker complexion to her and hair that was long, curly, and dark. She carried a single Dadao attached to her hip and she saw daggers attached to her boots and the sleeves or her jacket that she was wearing. Clarke could already tell to not underestimate her. She was chosen by Lexa for a reason.</p><p>"<em>Echo kom Azgeda</em> step forward." Clarke heard the collective gasp and panic come from the crowd. She heard the unease and hatred being spewed at her. Lexa turned around and faced the crowd and if looks could kill all of them would be dead.</p><p>"Echo is my newest general and represents Azgeda. As you all know the last representative tried to sabotage the alliance that was being built between myself and Wanheda. Echo in two days has already proven her loyalty to me and to Wanheda. She has shown that she had learned from her past and that not everyone is as ruthless as Azplana would have her people believe. She was the only choice for this role and I am glad to have her among my ranks." That verbal shut up the crowd. They all knew that if Heda trusted her then they should too. Lexa turned back to Echo to continue with the procedingings.</p><p>Clarke had seen Echo before but this was the first time she got a good look at the woman in full warrior garb. Her eyes were surrounded by white face paint and she saw the scars around her eyes. They were small and if she was looking for them she wouldn't have noticed carried two axes at her sides. She had a sword strapped to her back and she would not be surprised if there were a multitude of daggers hidden on her body. She noticed that the blades of each weapon had a black piece of material covering them. She could only imagine what purpose they served. She would have to ask Lexa about it later.</p><p>"<em>Borthal kom Delfikru</em> step forward." If Clarke hadn't known any better this man would have passed as a member of Skaikru. He looked more like them than any of the other generals. He wore a different style of clothing that resembled something from the old would but still could keep him warm. It definitely was still made of hide that you gathered from the animals but it was just different. He wore a jacket that was close to her original blue one. He had short dirty blonde hair and had fair skin. He wore pants that were an altered version of jeans. It was bizarre to look at. He carried dual Falchion on his back and he always seemed to have a cocky smile plastered on his face. Great, she thought another Murphy.</p><p>"<em>Falmir kom Lowada</em> step forward." The last general stepped forward to greet Lexa. Of all of the generals this man looked straight out of magazines for models. He was tall, tan and good looking. He had long flowing brown locks of hair that just seemed to move with the littlest gust of wind. She heard the cat calls come from various women and she saw the smirk on his face. The nickname Pretty Boy came to the front of her mind and she had to shake the thought from her head. He carried a saber that was generally associated with a high ranking military leader from the old world. She knew there were most likely more weapons hidden on him but she would figure that out later. She saw Lexa move back to the middle of the stage and turn to face the crowd.</p><p>"Standing before you are my most trusted generals that represent every clan that falls under the Kongeda." Lexa turned to address her now.</p><p>"<em>Wanheda</em> these will be your opponents for the gauntlet. They were chosen for a reason and will give you everything they have to test you." She nodded in understanding.</p><p>"The gauntlet will begin at first light tomorrow. It will begin with Wanheda starting against <em>Falmir kom Lowada</em>." Clarke turned to face the man and she heard the screams for him and the boos directed at her. Well this man definitely had a fan club and she would not be surprised to find some of the women trying to get into his tent tonight to offer him good luck.</p><p>She came face to face with Falmir and took his arm like she was greeting one of the other warriors. He shot her a smile that she was sure worked on every woman with a pair of eyes. Well to bad for him she only had eyes for his Heda.</p><p>"I look forward to tomorrow <em>Wanheda</em> and I must say I am really going to hate messing up that pretty face of yours." Clarke glared at the man and didn't let go when he tried to pull away. She could feel Wanheda seeping through and she allowed it.</p><p>"It is I who is sorry, Falmir. I do hope that when I am done with you, the whores that flock to your tent will still be there to comfort your pride. I promise you that your pretty face will be the one that is messed up after I am through with you." She saw the shock and fear briefly cross his face at her words and how her voice had gone deathly calm. She released his grip and turned to the crowd once more.</p><p>She had to hide the smile that threatened to break free at the angry glares of the woman that made up his fan club. Well she knew which ones would be trying to comfort Pretty Boy tonight. What she was not expecting was the fear and shock that was apparent on everyone else's face. She heard the whispers of how it was true and that she really was Wanheda. Well that is a start she thought as she locked eyes with Lexa and was greeted with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>"That concludes the announcement for today. The gauntlet will take place in the crater and everyone is welcome to watch. There will be no tolerance for interference or attempts made on any of the participants' lives. You all know the rules and I expect you all to follow them tomorrow." A collective Sha Heda was heard across the sea of people as they were dismissed.</p><p>Clarke waited while each general came up to her one at a time and greeted her more personally. Each one made a comment about how she handled Falmir. She wondered if everyone hated his Pretty Boy attitude. Echo was the last one and came and stopped in front of her.</p><p>"I must say Wanheda, this is a surprise. Don't expect me to go easy on you just because I am still recovering. I do have that thing you asked for as well." Lexa had joined them by this point.</p><p>"I would expect nothing less Echo kom Azgeda." She turned to Lexa.</p><p>"Echo has that thing we spoke about. Should we move this conversation to somewhere more private?" Lexa nodded at them and they made their way over the gathered Skaikru.</p><p>"If you would follow me we have some matters of boundaries and other things to discuss." She said to Kane and he nodded and fell in line behind them.</p><hr/><p>They made their way to Lexa's tent. Clarke was wondering what her people would say as soon as they made it inside. She expected Bellamy to lose it. Raven would try to talk her out of it and maybe Monty as well. Kane would probably try to understand. The only thing she was sure of was that tomorrow morning she would be taking down Pretty Boy.</p><p>Once inside she was surprised that everyone didn't immediately start in on her. She made her way to stand close to Lexa but not close enough to cause suspicion. The only person that was in the room that didn't know or at least had a suspicion of her relationship with the commander was Bellamy. Lexa sat on her throne and looked at the people gathered for a moment.</p><p>"I know most of you are unaware of what just transpired but I must inform you that if <em>Wanheda</em> did not ask for this it wouldn't have happened. She voluntarily asked for this. It is seen as a great honor for someone to complete this trial willingly." She saw the look of shock on Bellamy and Raven's faces. Kane was quiet taking everything in. Monty was just there right now but she could still see a look of shock on his face.</p><p>"Heda what would be the normal case this would be called for?" Kane asked, trying to learn like he always had.</p><p>"Normally Kane it is reserved for when someone is trying to rejoin their respective clan after being banished." Kane nodded then turned to Clarke.</p><p>"<em>Wanheda</em>, why are you wanting to do this. You know that the generals were chosen for a reason. I think I speak for your people when I say that we can't lose you." Monty had spoken before Kane could even speak.</p><p>She could hear the emotion behind his words. It was a shock to her. She hadn't realized that she had already swayed so many people to her side.</p><p>"I won't be going anywhere. Will I suffer wounds? Yes. Will I be injured? Most likely. But I am the commander of Death and my spirit will not be leaving earth anytime soon." She saw the looks of confusion as she spoke. It was becoming common for her when she was being addressed as Wanheda for her personalities and voices to blend together.</p><p>"Well then, I may not fully understand what you have going on with all of this but I must say that was creepy." Monty joked as he found a seat at the table.</p><p>"Sorry still getting used to the whole having another spirit inside me." She heard a muffled chuckle come from Lexa. She raised an eyebrow at her but quickly made a motion with her head to the table. Lexa nodded and came down from the throne.</p><p>Everyone saw this and wondered what was going on. Bellamy was watching the two of them closely trying to figure out something. Everyone else was waiting.</p><p>"I think it would be wise for us to drop the formalities for the moment. There is a time and a place for titles and this one can be one of the times where it is not." Lexa said as she sat at the head of the table. Clarke took her spot to her left and everyone else sat in the remaining chairs.</p><p>"I understand that you all are aware of what Clarke is here to discuss for your people." They all nodded at her.</p><p>"For now we still have peace. There is no reason for me to not honor that peace. Before the battle Clarke and I discussed that the mountain men may get desperate and try to make a deal with one of us. I unfortunately happened to be the one that was offered the deal." Clarke watched her people for a reaction. Kane and Monty already knew this information so they stayed impassive. Bellamy had been informed but actually hearing it caused his face to contort in anger. Oh boy here we go she thought.</p><p>"Commander excuse me here but what the hell? You left us to die there. After everything we had done for you, how can you just leave us there." Clarke went to say something but went silent when she locked eyes with Lexa. She saw no anger in them just understanding.</p><p>"I will allow the way you just spoke to me just this once Belomi. My people out number Skaikru significantly and Clarke understood this. She was the one that told me to take the deal if it came to it. She knew that people would not look wisely on me not taking this deal with the uncertainty that we would actually win. I had already done more for your people than I normally would have for a clan that was not part of the Kongeda." She watched as Bellamy started to process this as Lexa continued.</p><p>"I believed your people have a saying along the lines of sticking one's neck out." Clarke nodded at her along with Raven.</p><p>"That is what I was doing. Everyone wanted blood after what Clarke did at the dropship. It was war at that point. If the mountain had not intervened I would have sent more of my warriors to finish the job." Clarke had already figured this out but to hear the conformation of it made her uneasy.</p><p>"Once Clarke came to me and wanted peace. I stuck my neck out on a condition. Finn for peace. This was the only way my people would be willing to work with yours. Since that day no matter what has happened I have been very lenient with your people because I saw the benefits of working with Skaikru." Bellamy had sat back down at this point.</p><p>"I would like to offer my apologies for how the situation at the mountain came across. I made a choice and I know it caused your people to do some unspeakable things." Clarke caught the side eye being thrown at her from everyone.</p><p>"I also would like to extend a formal invitation to <em>Skaikru</em> to join the <em>Kongeda</em> as the 13th Clan." Clarke raised an eyebrow at this. She had planned on trying to negotiate a way for her people to get more protection. She just wasn't expecting it to go this way.</p><p>"Well I believe that is a decision our leader should make is it not?" Kane asked as he looked to where she was sitting.</p><p>"What would joining the <em>Kongeda</em> entail exactly?" It was time to put on her Skaiheda hat per say.</p><p>"Well for starters you would be protected from any and all attacks. If you were to be attacked you could call upon the other clans if it is necessary. In return you would have to provide what warriors you would be able to when it is required." They all nodded realizing that it was only fair.</p><p>"An ambassador would need to be chosen and your leader would need to take the brand of the Kongeda. The ambassador would stay in Polis and attend meetings to speak on behalf of Skaikru. The leader would come when it was necessary." She nodded and understood the whole power dynamic.</p><p>"If we were to accept this invitation, we would have the freedom to run our people how we see fit but we would still report to you, correct?" She carefully worded her words to make sure the people gathered understood she was looking out for them.</p><p>"Yes that is correct. You would be responsible for handling your own problems unless they require the attention of me." Everyone gathered nodded, glad that they would have some form of freedom.</p><p>"Now as far as boundaries go, Skaiheda has expressed to me that your people are looking to expand outside of your walls." Kane nodded at Lexa.</p><p>"Good. Your new boundaries are 10 miles to the west and 20 miles in every other direction. Once a decision has been made on what to do with what remains of the mountain then you can expand the additional 10 miles to the west." Clarke knew Lexa was being generous but fair. She understood confining <em>Skaikru</em> to the west for the time being.</p><p>"Thank you Heda" Came from both Clarke and Kane. Lexa nodded at them and motioned for Echo to come forward.</p><p>"Now to the other matter that needs to be discussed." Echo handed the journal over to Lexa.</p><p>"From what I have been told Abigail Griffin is currently incapacitated for a time."</p><p>"Yes she is. Jackson, who is like her <em>Sekon</em>, said that she wouldn't be able to leave for a few more days." Kane replied while Clarke sat back and wondered how this conversation was going to go.</p><p>"That gives us time to plan on how to handle this delicate situation. Clarke has asked for my input on this matter and as a show of good faith I agreed to listen to any evidence you have and work with you to help in any way I can." Clarke watched everyone's face to see their reactions. She really wanted everyone to believe that Lexa was on their side.</p><p>"I believe this is the first thing that we need to discuss." Lexa held up the journal. They all nodded at her.</p><p>"That is Abigail's personal journal. Inside it you will find details of what she plans to do and how she plans to do that." Lexa nodded as she flipped through the pages.</p><p>Clarke watched her closely to see if she would have any reactions. Tonight had already gone differently than she had expected. Two of her main goals had already been put in motion and she was happy for that. Her mind tried to focus on two different things right now. Her people and her trial. She heard the journal close and she saw the tinge of anger hidden behind her green eyes.</p><p>"This will need to be dealt with soon. If she is given enough time to carry out her plan it would start another war. <em>Skaiheda</em> I believe you have the evidence you need to carry out the plan you original stated before the battle with Mount Weather." Clarke saw Bellamy's eyebrows shoot up in shock at the news.</p><p>"<em>Sha, Mochaf Heda</em>" she said as she turned her head to look at all of her people.</p><p>"Abigail will be dealt with and <em>Skaikru</em> will be led very differently from now on. The old council and lead will be out and a new leadership will be formed." She saw the eyes of everyone on her.</p><p>"As much as I never wanted to be a leader it has been made very clear by multiple people that I am the reason we are where we are today. As of today there is no more chancellor or council." She could feel courage coming to her as she spoke. Which was odd because it was just her most trusted people in the room.</p><p>"From this day forward I <em>Wanheda</em>, <em>Skaiheda</em> Clarke kom Skaikru will make sure our people thrive and prosper here on the ground. I will be the de facto leader and as far as the Kongeda is concerned Kane will take the brand. I would like to take the role of Ambassador if I am able to?" Lexa raised an eyebrow at her.</p><p>"I must say Clarke you always do have your surprises. I think we can make that work. You will serve as the ambassador for Skaikru and Kane can take the brand. When it comes to times of war Clarke will fall back into her role as de facto leader due to her being the host to <em>Wanheda</em>."</p><p>"Also it should be said that since Clarke is the host for <em>Wanheda</em>, it means she holds a higher standing among my people. Her title elevates her to hold almost as much power as I do. There are many things that will need to be worked out once it is made official at the next summit."</p><p>"For now I believe that is all we have to discuss for today. You all are free to explore TonDC while you are here." Everyone nodded surprised by how everything went.</p><p>"Clarke, there are still some things we need to discuss for tomorrow." She nodded as she sat back down and watched as her people exited the tent followed by Echo and Indra. It was just them once more.</p><hr/><p>She felt the tension wash out the door following her people. It was still weird for her to call them her people but that is what they were now. She looked over at Lexa and saw the mask of Heda just melt away. She knew that for real now it was just them. They had done their best to forgo the formalities but one topic warneted them.</p><p>"What else is there that we need to discuss?" she asked softly.</p><p>"Well for starters the gauntlet will take place over three days. There will be four matches each day. In between each fight there will be a rest period to patch up any wounds that need attending too. Healers will see you after the final fight for the day. It is only then can major wounds be addressed unless they are life threatening of course." Clarke could tell something was bothering her love.</p><p>"What is truly on your mind Lexa?" Clarke knew she needed to know this information but something was pulling at her to check on her love.</p><p>"I know why you want to do this Clarke, but a part of me wishes that you didn't want to. It will be the hardest thing for me to sit there and watch. I know you can handle yourself and Wanheda won't let you fall but for the first time in a long time I find myself worrying for someone." Clarke reached over and grasped her hand.</p><p>"Lexa trust me I know what you mean. I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't the best option. Once I succeed in this, word will spread and it will just make more people hesitant to come after me. At least that is the hope. I want to be seen as worthy so that when we decide to make our relationship known it won't cause many issues." She saw Lexa start to protest but she shook her head at her.</p><p>"I know what you are going to say and I know you think that already but I need your people to see me that way. Think about it this way. If I add more for people to tell about me that means stories will get spun and create a legend just like yours. It will be both a good thing and a bad thing but together we can handle the bad. That I firmly believe in." Lexa smiled at her and she knew that Lexa believed her words.</p><p>"You are right Clarke. This is all new to me. I am used to having to hide everything and try to keep my personal life to myself. Last time I let someone in she wound up dead. I don't want that to happen to you <em>Ai hodnes</em>." Clarke smiled at her knowing the pain Lexa went through and she understood what it meant.</p><p>"You won't lose me Leska. It is okay to worry, to feel like you need to protect the one you care for. It is only a natural thing to do. I know I won't beat all of them but I damn will try to take all of them down. Wanheda by the way is itching for this fight." Lexa chuckled at her response.</p><p>"Well you know the rules so make sure she doesn't make you break them." Clarke nodded knowing that she would have to work really damn hard to control the bloodlust that takes over.</p><p>"Is there anything else you would like to know before I have dinner brought for us?" Clarke nodded as she pictured everyone one of the generals remembering every detail she could think of.</p><p>"Echo had her blades covered. Why is that?" Lexa smiled at her.</p><p>"Poison. Every Azgeda warrior coats their blades in poison. Which poison depends on what they are doing. For example, she has been instructed to only use ones that would slow and mess with your senses. You will fight her last tomorrow." Clarke nodded, finally having an answer to that question.</p><p>"Are there any other things about your generals that I should know or would that be cheating?" Lexa chuckled at her again.</p><p>"Not necessarily. Each general has their own unique fighting style. As you have seen they are diverse and are not the same. Each one is the best fighter and strategists from their respective clans. You will not face the same style for each fight. This will test how well you are able to adapt and overcome anything thrown at you." Clarke nodded at her.</p><p>"What is the order in which I will fight your generals?" She asked, wanting to try and start to analyze what she could even more.</p><p>"Tomorrow you will fight Falmir, Elira, Brothel, and Echo. The next day will be Talor, Sahir, Guthrie, and Aslena. The final day will be Falistad, Selia, Darko, and Indra. If and only If you manage to beat 8 of my generals there will be another day and that is when you go against me." Clarke looked at Lexa like she had grown two heads.</p><p>"What do you mean by that? I thought it was only your generals that took part in the gauntlet." Clarke was thoroughly confused by this little nugget of new info.</p><p>"It is a special rule that not many of my people know about. It has never been done before but I have a feeling that you may be the first to accomplish this feat. I have trained you Clarke. I know what you can do if you put your mind to it. Plus add on top of that you are the host to <em>Wanheda</em>. This will not be a cakewalk by any means but I wanted to make you aware what your reward would be if you did accomplish this." Clarke saw the sly grin on her loved one's face. Well two can play at that game.</p><p>"Will that be my only reward, <em>Leska</em>? She lowered her voice as she spoke.</p><p>"Well that depends Klark on how well you do in this gauntlet. If you do what I know you are capable of then you may be rewarded very handsomely." Lexa's voice had gone just as low and was dripping with seduction. It made Clarke realize that she would need to seriously improve her game. She could feel the fire building inside her with the way Lexa was looking at her. She took a breath to center herself and calm the rising desire she was feeling right now.</p><p>"Well I look forward to finding out what you have in mind, Leska. Now if I remember correctly you said something about dinner?" She desperately needed to change the subject because as much as she wanted this to continue she needed all of her energy for tomorrow.</p><p>"Sha I did. It is fun to see you get all riled up." Lexa leaned closer as she stood up. "Just wait my angel till you see what I can really do to make you squirm." She felt the shiver run down her whole body as she felt the warm breath hit her ear. She crossed her legs to try and relive some of the rising tension and she was thankful when Lexa left to go find food.</p><p>"<em>Jok</em>." She said as she sat there contemplating when that had caused such a reaction to come from her.</p><hr/><p>A few moments later Lexa returned with food and was acting like she hadn't totally turned Clarke on. They ate in a peaceful silence just enjoying the somewhat normal atmosphere they had created. They had finished eating just as another bath had arrived for them. She smiled as Lexa grabbed her hand and led her to the bath.</p><p>"Tonight you relax and let me take care of you. You will need all your strength for tomorrow Ai hodnes. If I start to make you uncomfortable let me know. I know I was probably too forward earlier but it was fun to see you get flustered." Clarke chuckled as she lowered herself into the bath.</p><p>"Surprising but not unwelcome I would say. You have an effect on me that I hadn't really paid much attention to because there wasn't time. Even now it still feels like there isn't time." Clakre said as she felt Lexa running her hand through her hair.</p><p>"We have time Clarke. We will make time if we have to. You have an effect on me as well that I haven't felt in a long time." Clarke smiled as she laid her head back content to stay this way.</p><p>She stayed that way while Lexa took care of her. She had never known what this feeling was growing up. At least with someone she loved that is. She had never gotten to this point with someone before and as odd as it felt she knew it was right.</p><p>Lexa had washed her hair but had allowed her to wash the rest of her body. She was conflicted but took it for what it was and tried not to read into it more than necessary. She nodded to Lexa when she was done and Lexa helped her up out of the tub and handed her a towel. She smiled as Lexa disappeared around the curtain. She came back just as she was finishing drying herself with her clothes for the night. She took the clothes and put them on and followed Lexa to her bed. Was it too early to consider that bed theirs now? She wounded as she sank into it next to Lexa.</p><p>"Tomorrow will be the beginning of your next chapter my love. You will do well in this test. I believe in you. I will be there watching and be trying to channel some of my strength to you even though I know you might not need it." Clarke looked up at Lexa and smiled.</p><p>"Thank you Lexa." She said as she yawned and snuggled closer to her.</p><p>"Rest now Clarke." She felt Lexa kiss the crown of her head and she smiled as she drifted of to sleep.</p><p>
  <strong>Azgeda</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Queen Nia's throne room</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Middle of the night</strong>
</p><p>There was an icy chill that was always prominent no matter where she went in Azgeda. It had become comforting in a way but also caused her to hate it as well. She looked around the room and realized that she was the last remaining one from the only people she considered like family. Roan had gone to Polis with the supposed head of the commander's love and the woman she considered a sister had disappeared after that night and was presumed lost to the mountain.</p><p>She had been called to the throne room a few minutes ago by Nia. This woman had raised her alongside Echo and Roan but had subjected her to harsh trials and tests to shape her into the perfect warrior. She had come to realize over time that this was not normal even for the other clans. When the whole thing with the commander's lover went down, all three of them decided if they could get out they would. Roan was the first to succeed. Echo had tried many times but the last word she had heard was that she had been captured by the mountain.</p><p>It had been rough since that day. She had thrown herself into her training and anything that would make her life easier. Nia had come down on her harder and became worse as the years went on. She was now 18 and ready to find her own way to escape from the grasp of Nia.</p><p>She watched as Nia strode into the throne room followed by one of her spies. Well this is interesting she thought as she watched them come closer. This particular spy was supposed to be intermingled in TonDC. What was he doing back here so soon?"</p><p>"Ontari I am sure you recognize who this is?" She nodded as Nia took her seat on her frozen throne.</p><p>"Good. I called you here because I want you to decide if his information is worth him coming back without being called." She nodded as she looked at the man who was looking like he was worried.</p><p>"What do you have to tell me since it was obvious that it couldn't wait till morning." Nia asked the man.</p><p>"Azplana, I bring news from TonDC. The mountain has been slain but not by the commander." Nia raised her eyebrows at the man.</p><p>"Then by who?"</p><p>"<em>Wanheda</em>. She is the leader of the people that fell from the sky." Ontari knew that Nia knew this information already because of what that mountain man had told her.</p><p>"Well that would be interesting news if I hadn't already found this information out." She said to the man who looked like he had seen a ghost.</p><p>"I also bring news that Wanheda has asked for <em>Na uf en yuj</em>. Also the Azegedian representative has been replaced." This caused Ontari to look at the man more closely.</p><p>"By who?" Nia asked.</p><p>"<em>Echo kom Azgeda</em>." Ontari felt her breath hitch in her throat. The woman she considered as a sister was alive. She was now protected in a way.</p><p>"So my most trusted spy has joined her ranks. Interesting. That means she is no longer loyal to me. There is only one way someone becomes a general for that so-called commander." She knew what was coming next. Nia motioned for another man to come forward.</p><p>"Put out the word that <em>Echo kom Azgeda</em> is banished from my lands and is now considered a natrona." Ontrai held her tongue. She knew this would be for the best and she knew Echo wouldn't have done this if she didn't feel safe. The man nodded and immediately left.</p><p>"What else do you bring for me?"</p><p>"Wanheda, has a following among the commander's people. They believe she will succeed and maybe accomplish something that has never been done before. They believe that she will beat at least 8 of the generals and earn a fight with the commander." The man took a breath.</p><p>"After she slaughtered the people in the mountain word spread quickly of her and what she had accomplished."</p><p>"Has anyone seen what is inside the mountain?" the man shook his head.</p><p>"Is there anything else I should know?" The man shook his head again. Nia turned to Ontari and she stepped forward.</p><p>"Ontari what is your decision. He brought us good information but is it worthy for him to keep his head.</p><p>"My queen I believe it is. He brought us vital information even if you knew the first part already. We could use what he brought to us to send a message to the people. Echo betrayed you just like Roan. You can use that to secure your people like you did after Roan." Ontari knew she had to be careful. She was playing to that sadistic side of Nia.</p><p>"You are correct Ontari. He will live this time." She looked at the man just as Nia did.</p><p>"You may return to your post. Make your story believable. Do not return unless you are called." The man nodded and quickly stood and bowed and left the room.</p><p>"Ontari come here." She followed Nia over the war table that was set up in the throne room.</p><p>"I want you to handle the mountain man. We need more information from him. I want him on my side. You are to show him to a new room at first light." She nodded as she watched Nia study the war table.</p><p>"If what the rumors say are true we need to find a way to separate Wanheda from the commander. I need her under my thumb and use her against the commander." Ontari knew where this was going. Nia didn't learn from the last time she focused on something like this.</p><p>"If I can get to her and turn her and her people against the commander I will have a significant advantage this time. I won't make the same mistake as last time." She heard the deathly calm behind her voice and she knew that if she didn't get what she wanted it would be war.</p><p>"You are dismissed Ontari." She nodded and made her way out of the throne room.</p><hr/><p>Once she was through the doors she let out the breath she had been holding. She needed to start planning her escape from here. She quietly made her way out of the throne room towards the one person that she could trust in the kingdom. She stepped outside into the night and instantly shivered. The night air always chilled her to her core. She pulled her coat tighter and started trudging through the snow towards her destination.</p><p>It took her a few minutes to reach her destination. She had to be cautious as Nia had spies all over the city. She came to an old door and knocked on it in a special way. The door opened and a mid aged man peeked out at her. She smiled and nodded at the man. He nodded back and let her inside. She instantly gravitated towards the fireplace that was burning hot. The man came up behind her with a warm cup of tea and she thanked him as they sat down.</p><p>"It has been a while since you came to my door my child." She smiled from behind her cup.</p><p>"I know Halind. It wasn't safe after Echo disappeared." He nodded at her.</p><p>"Have you heard anything about her? I know you two were close." She sat her cup on the table.</p><p>"She is now one of the commander's generals. She lived being captured by the mountain. She is safe my friend." She heard him sigh in relief.</p><p>"I am guessing that is why you are here tonight. You need my help with something." She nodded at him.</p><p>"It is time I start preparing to leave. I am the last one that knows the truth about something and I need to get to the commander. I have to be careful in doing so."</p><p>"I understand my child. I will see what I can do. It will take some time to get the required pieces in place." She nodded at him as she stood.</p><p>"Thank you my friend. When you have gathered the required items let me know." He smiled as he pulled her into a hug.</p><p>"Same way as always." She nodded as she pulled back.</p><p>"Then that is what I will do." She smiled as she made her way to the door.</p><p>"Thank you my friend." She opened the door and made her way back out into cold air.</p><p>She knew that it would only be a matter of time before she would be on her way out of the cage she had called home. She made her way back to her room as she constantly checked over her shoulder. She let out a sigh of relief as she made it back to her door without any trouble. She shed her jacket still happy that her fire was burning hot. She would have to thank the maid that had kept it that way for her.</p><p>She made her way to her bed just ready to get some sleep for the night. She knew that the coming days would be difficult with the task she had been assigned. She didn't like this man. He was nothing but bad news but she had to play her part if she wanted to get away cleanly. Her mind was wandering as she felt someone sharing her mind and she heard a voice that she had not heard in a long time just as she fell asleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 7: Na uf en yuj Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello all! Sorry for the wait on this chapter. Writers block hit me hard and caused me to lose track of time. I went back and forth several times on how I wanted the gauntlet to go. I hope all of you enjoy and comments are greatly appreciated.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Ontari's dream</strong>
</p><p>She was standing in a room she had never seen before. In the middle of the room were two thrones side by side. Sitting on one throne was a woman she had only seen once before in her life and it was when she was very young. She had just discovered she was a <em>Natblida</em> and that night she had seen a woman in her dreams telling her that she would be alright and that someone would come for her soon. That person never came as Nia had taken her into her custody and slaughtered her parents.</p><p>Besides this woman was someone she had never seen before and she was immediately on guard. Both of these women were dressed in what reports of the <em>Skaikru</em> were wearing. She looked around the room she was in and noticed it was more of a temporary throne room than an actual one. She looked back to the woman in front of her and realized that she was being watched very carefully.</p><p>"<em>Ontari kom Azgeda</em> it has been a while my child." She followed the voice and saw that it came from the woman she had seen only once.</p><p>"Who are you? I mean I have a faint memory of seeing you once before but you I don't recognize." She looked at both of them and saw they had a slight smile on their faces.</p><p>"Well Ontari, I am <em>Bekka primheda</em> and this is Ash. She was the original <em>Wanheda</em>." Ontari looked at the other woman. The original Wanheda. She had so many questions but reigned herself in.</p><p>"Interesting. Why now after all of this time?" Becca let a small smile appear.</p><p>"Things are changing in the world Ontari. Certain events have been set in motion and it has come time for you to leave like you have started to plan for. The commander needs to know the truth about that night." She sucked in a breath as her mind flashed back to the night in mention.</p><p>She had not forgotten that night and the oath she made with the other two people there that night. Echo and Roan and her made a pact that night to do what they could to do right by the woman that had held the commander's heart. She shook her head as she tried to refocus on the current time and place.</p><p>"How will I know where to go?" She asked as she started to pace.</p><p>"I will guide you along the way. Unfortunately you won't be leaving for a week. You will be joined by another member of Skaikru soon but he is grief stricken and you won't be able to save him. A lot is going to happen for you in a week's time but you are strong Ontari. You will know when the time is right." her mind was spinning with this information.</p><p>"I will let you rest now my child. I am sorry that you have been alone for so long. You will soon be reunited with your family. You will only hear from me one more time along your journey. You know how the flame works by now. I have to be careful reaching out to the other Natblida that don't have the flame." She nodded understanding what she was talking about.</p><p>"Thank you Becca." She bowed as she drifted away from the room and saw she was back in her room. It was still night outside and she had a couple hours before she had to retrieve Nia's pet.</p><p>She settled back into her bed as she closed her eyes once more. She had a clear mission in front of her now. For the first time in a while she felt content with these orders and the way her life was turning around.</p><p>
  <strong>TonDC</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Just before sunrise</strong>
</p><p>Clarke had been awake for what seemed like forever by this point. She had slept as much as her body had allowed her to, well as much as Wanheda thought was necessary. That had been a very unpleasant argument to wage inside her own head. She had just decided to stay awake after that and could feel the extra energy already being provided by Wanheda. She had been sitting at the table for 10 minutes now when she heard Lexa stir for the first time.</p><p>She watched from her seat as Lexa registered that she was alone and she smiled at the look on her face. She felt touched by the fact that her not being there when she awoke meant so much to her love. Lexa finally found her and she saw the panic disappear as quickly as it had reared its head.</p><p>"Are you okay <em>Ai hodnes</em>?" She smiled and felt her heart skip a beat.</p><p>"Yes,<em> Ai hodnes</em>. <em>Wanheda</em> decided to wake my ass up early this morning. I am still upset with her about it but it is what it is now." Lexa chuckled at her response as she made her way to get dressed for the day.</p><p>She had chosen to be safe than sorry when it came to her gear today. She looked down at herself and realized that she was in the same gear she had worn in the mountain. She shook her head to clear her mind of the images that still plagued her mind. She was not technically lying to her just not telling her the whole truth. She had been awoken by Wanheda but not because of excitement.</p><hr/><p>She had been having a rather nasty nightmare again. She was standing on a battlefield in gear she did not recognize. She looked at her hands and saw that they were hers but older. She looked to her left and saw Lexa but she was older as well. Scars covered her face and the normal softness that was always in her eyes was gone.</p><p>She turned away from her and looked across the field in front of her. Bodies lay everywhere and it was not just from one clan. It was from multiple. At her feet lay members of <em>Skaikru and Sankru</em>. The normal green grass had been stained red. She looked back at her arms and saw she was covered in the stain of war once more.</p><p>"<em>Ai hodnes</em>, our last obstacle approaches. It is time for us to finish this." She heard Lexa's voice but it was free of an emotion.</p><p>"Glady, <em>Ai hodnes</em>." Her own voice spoke but there was a tone of deathly calm to it.</p><p>She felt her own arms grip tighter on her dual swords and they ran head first at the approaching army. They moved swiftly as they cut down members of all clans. She had many questions as she watched what was her but not her cut through allies.</p><p>She watched as Lexa and her exploded in blinding lights of red and white. She watched as they moved faster and faster till they got to the middle of the army. Everything slowed down at that point. She watched as a spear was thrown and implied her thigh. She watched as another impaled Lexa as well. What was she watching? The swords came next as they sliced through their gear and black blood spewed from both of them.</p><p>"Enough!" she heard a loud gruff voice yell.</p><p>Everyone stopped and made a path for this man. She had never seen this man before but she could feel the recognition hit her.</p><p>"We should have known it was you who turned against us Roan."</p><p>"You both let the power you two have go to your head. Look around you at the carnage you two have caused. We were at peace."</p><p>"Peace." She coughed up blood as she spoke.</p><p>"There was never Peace. Every day we were attacked. We finally had enough. Everyone was in the way of Peace. We did what was best." Lexa said.</p><p>"Well look where that got you. <em>Yu gonplei ste odon</em>." She felt the cold steel of blades being drawn across her neck as she struggled to breathe. She saw the same happening to Lexa as she fell to the ground.</p><p>She was pulled from the dream by <em>Wanheda</em> and was standing on a hillside now. She was confused and pissed. She turned to look at <em>Wanheda</em> and saw Ash was there.</p><p>"Ash what the fuck was that?" She reached for her neck and felt the faint trace of a scar that should not be there.</p><p>"That was your death in a future timeline. I was not lying when I told you I was a version of your future." She fell to her knees as she tried to grasp the reality of the situation.</p><p>"In this timeline you and Lexa were not liked by the <em>Kongeda</em>. They didn't not support your bond and tried to come at you from every direction. You had enemies that were once allies. You both tried to figure out how to approach this and came to the conclusion it was time to face it head on." She felt her breath catch in her throat.</p><p>"You both took on the whole might of the Kongeda. You moved from clan to clan starting out with Azegada and ending here just outside Trikru lands. Roan had brought together everyone that was left for one final stand. You both had burned through what power you had and when those spears struck it signaled your downfall." The thought of this scared Clarke to her core.</p><p>"Why show me this. What good does it bring me, showing me what I could become." She asked through tears.</p><p>"I think Wanheda wanted you to see what one possible outcome could have been. I don't foresee this outcome coming to fruition Clarke." She looked up at Ash.</p><p>"How can you be sure about that. I barely even understand what being the vessel for her means. I barely know how to control her power." Her voices waivered again as she dropped her head. She felt a hand placed on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Ash was kneeling in front of her.</p><p>"I say this because things are already different this time. Believe it or not you already have a following among the Kongeda. This test will help cement your place down here. I have seen every different timeline for you and this one is different then all the others. You are doing the right thing Clarke." She was stunned. Her mind felt like it was going to explode.</p><p>"Did she really have to fucking wake my ass up that way. I could have done without that?" She heard Ash chuckle.</p><p>"Wanheda works in mysterious ways Clarke. You already have shown more control over her than I ever did." She raised an eyebrow at her.</p><p>"After Becca died the bloodlust that I know you have felt became more prevalent for me. I spent most of my time researching as much as I could but the bloodlust would consume me and I would wipe out villages. When I was finally killed it felt like I was set free. I saw the power of Wanheda as a burden because my other half was ripped away from me and she wasn't there to balance me out." Ash took a breath and Clarke could hear the waiver in her voice.</p><p>"I do not envy you Clarke. I know you didn't ask to be chosen but if I can I will help. Both of us still have a lot to learn when it comes to her power. I am just glad you have Lexa to balance you out. You saw what could happen to the both of you if you both let the bloodlust consume you." Clarke felt a chill run down her spine. She hopes she would never have to experience that again.</p><p>"Thank you Ash." She saw the smile being given to her as she came back to reality and started her day.</p><hr/><p>She heard Lexa come back to where she was and she sent her a smile. She knew she would have to fill Lexa in at some point but she had other matters that were more important right now.</p><p>"Have you eaten yet?" She shook her head in response.</p><p>"Not really hungry. Nerves have my stomach in knots right now." She said as Lexa made her way to the entrance of the tent.</p><p>"Something light then?" She knew that she needed to eat something so she agreed.</p><p>She tried to focus on today but that dream had her all messed up. She couldn't shake the images and how they made her feel. She wondered if Lexa ever saw things like that but she didn't know if what she was experiencing would be able to be easily explained.</p><p>"Clarke, are you sure you are okay? You are awfully quiet this morning." She looked at her love and saw the genuine worry behind those green eyes.</p><p>"I wasn't lying when I said Wanheda woke me up. She decided to show me something and it rattled me." Lexa was now next to her and holding her hand.</p><p>"What did she show you?" Could she do this? Could she bring this up before she would be fighting today. She looked at Lexa again and saw that Lexa was getting more and more worried. She took a breath before she started.</p><p>"She showed me a glimpse of an alternate timeline for us. It was not good. I don't want to explain everything right now because I don't want you to worry, Ai hodnes." She tried to smile at her to show her she was okay but it didn't work.</p><p>"Do I need to postpone today?" Clarke raised an eyebrow at her.</p><p>"No. I want to still do this and it wouldn't look good if you had to. This isn't the first time something like this has been brought up Lexa. I am just glad Ash was there to explain it this time." Lexa nodded as the food came in. They both thanked the guard as Clarke munched and the nuts and berries that had been brought. Something light indeed she chuckled.</p><p>"Clarke, what do you mean this wasn't the first time?" She paused as she looked over at Lexa and saw the gears turning in her head.</p><p>"Well when I first met Ash she told me she was a version of myself but from a different timeline. I didn't know she was Ash at that point. She looked like all she did was fight a war." She popped another berry in her mouth as she gathered her thoughts.</p><p>"Apparently in that timeline I lost everyone I had ever loved and was in a constant state of war. She didn't elaborate much on that front. This dream I saw both of us die Lexa." She heard the gasp come from her love.</p><p>"I have been reassured that what I was shown won't happen though. Apparently I am doing everything right." She tried to put some sarcasm in her voice. At least it got a chuckle from Lexa.</p><p>"I'll have to talk to Becca about this. Maybe she had some advice for the both of us. I really don't want either of us to die, Clarke." Lexa smiled as they continued to eat.</p><hr/><p>They finished their light meal just as the sun was starting to peek through the crack in their tent. Clarke knew it was time. Lexa offered to braid her hair and she agreed. She looked in the mirror after she was finished and was impressed. Lexa had braided her hair to where there was none falling in her face. Everything was tightly braided and woven into a unique design. She knew that she wouldn't have to worry about her hair distracting her.</p><p>Lexa nodded after Clarke was happy with it and mentioned that she was going to make sure everything was in order. She gave her a quick kiss as she made her way to where Lexa stored the war paint. She had asked Lexa how she did it and it took her a couple tries to get it right. She had decided to change it up just a little now that she was known as Wanheda.</p><p>She kept the left side of her face the same as Lexa had originally done for her. The right side of her face was now donned with a wing that was upside down and red. Instead of reaching toward the sky the feathers of the wings looked like they were bleeding and running down her face coming to a stop at her chin.</p><p>She looked in the small mirror Lexa used and was happy with the final outcome. It fit all three of her different personas she now had. The left side symbolized her true self and the leader of Skaikru. The right side showed her more aggressive side. The side that was connected to Wanheda. The side that if she gave into she would have trouble coming back from.</p><p>She double checked everything was in place and stilled as she heard someone come into the tent. She quickly turned around and started to draw her weapon when she saw it was Octavia. She relaxed her grip on her weapon.</p><p>"Damn Clarke." She looked at Octavia closely and saw was stunned.</p><p>"I am guessing you are here to escort me?" She walked closer to her friend as she nodded.</p><p>"Nervous?" Clarke looked at her friend and she could feel Wanheda starting to show herself slowly.</p><p>"Not anymore. Let's go." Her voice had gone deathly calm as Wanheda settled inside her mind and exited the tent.</p><p>
  <strong>TonDC</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Fighting Pit</strong>
</p><p>Clarke had settled into a deathly calm as she made her way to the pit. She could hear a dull murmur from the crowd as she approached. She could tell it was louder than what she was hearing but she was focused on her task at hand. Four fights. Four chances to win. Four chances to prove herself. She approached one edge of the pit and saw Falmir already waiting for her. She tuned back into the noise that was around her and noticed the lack of noise. She raised her head and locked eyes with Lexa. She had her commander face firm in place but one look at her eyes told Clarke everything she needed to know.</p><p>She jumped down into the pit and heard a roar come from the crowd as she raised from her crouched position. She could feel the energy as it permeated across the crowd. She took in the people around and saw the four people she trusted the most were standing on the stage next to Lexa. She saw the mixed expressions on all of them. Octavia and Lincoln gave her a nod of encouragement and the rest of Skaikru were not good at hiding their worry. She couldn't blame them all they had seen of her fighting was catching guards in the mountain unaware and that wasn't even a fair fight.</p><p>She looked back at Lexa as she unsheathed her sword and flexed her hand trying to work out the stiffness that had built since she woke up. She nodded at her letting her know that she was ready. Before Lexa spoke she heard Falmir speak.</p><p>"So the Skai girl who slew the mountain finally showed up. Too bad, I was really hoping you liked that pretty face as it was and would decide against this farce." She stayed silent and just stared him down.</p><p>"Nothing to say for yourself Wanheda?" She could feel Wanheda itching to be released. She mentally told her to wait.</p><p>"So be it." He nodded at Lexa as he drew his saber.</p><p>Lexa raised her hand to silence the crowd as she stepped forward. Clarke stayed tuned in on Falmir as she listened to Lexa.</p><p>"As you all know Wanheda has asked for <em>Na uf en yij</em> and the request has been granted. The first fight of the day will be <em>Wanheda, Skaiheda Klark Kom Skaikru</em>." A roar came from the crowd. Maybe Ash was right she thought as Lexa raised her hand once more.</p><p>"Versus <em>Falmir kom Lowada</em>." All she heard were the screams coming from the same women that booed her yesterday. Interesting she thought.</p><p>"The first to land what would be a killing blow is declared the winner. If Wanheda beats four of my generals she passes the gauntlet. If she beats eight of them she will have one more fight against me after the third day of fighting." That news whipped the crowd into another frenzy.</p><p>"Only a few have made it to five wins in the gauntlet and only one person has made it to seven wins. That person was <em>Onya kom Trikru.</em>" At the mention of the fallen general a chant for her broke out. Great now Clarke knew where the bar was at and that would be a tough bar to pass and live up too.</p><p>"Now if both of our fighters are ready we can begin." Both of them nodded at her at the same time.</p><p>"Then let <em>Na uf en yuj</em> begin." She said as she lowered her arm to signal the start.</p><p>
  <strong>Clarke vs Falmir</strong>
</p><p>She started pacing back and forth like a caged animal waiting to strike. She watched Falmir as he stood there waiting for her to make the first move. Clarke knew they were on somewhat even ground as neither of them knew how the other fought. She flexed her hand again on the hilt of her sword as she never broke eye contact.</p><p>She let a ghost of a smile appear on her face as Falmir started towards her. He started slow but his pace picked up quickly till he was in a full out spring towards her. Fool she heard Wanheda say as she waited for the perfect opportunity. She had already seen where this man was weak and she knew where to strike. He favored his left side as she approached her. Perfect she thought as he was now 50 feet from her.</p><p>He brought his sword up to deliver a blow and as it was coming down she blocked with her sword and brought her right knee up into his stomach as she moved past him. She followed through by bringing her sword down and slashed at his back cutting through the light armor he wore. She saw the blood start to seep from the wound. That caused the crowd to go into a frenzy.</p><p>She watched as he turned around and if looks could kill her, well he would have attempted to kill her with them.</p><p>"That was a lucky shot, Skai girl." She smiled as he went on the attack again.</p><p>She knew better than to wear herself out as she had more fights today. She blocked each sword swing and brought out one of her daggers from her back as she blocked a swing from his sword. She moved past him again and went to slash his back again and like she thought he blocked this one but she followed through with the dagger in her right hand and used it to slash his forearm. More blood came from the wound as she continued to attack now.</p><p>She moved closer and swung with a sword and it was met with a clang of steel. She followed through with her dagger and stabbed him in the side this time. Falmir let out a grunt as she pulled the dagger out and brought her knee up and aimed for his stomach again. She felt him move and instead of connecting with his stomach she caught his groin. She heard the sound of pain come from him as he went down to a knee.</p><p>She pressed her attack and jumped on his back and rolled him over till he was on the other knee. She brought her dagger to his throat and pressed it lightly into his skin to draw blood.</p><p>"I win Falmir." She heard him drop his sword in defeat.</p><p>"Wanheda is the winner. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that was faster than most of us anticipated." The roar from the crowd signaled they agreed but were impressed.</p><p>She let go of Falmir and sheathed her weapons as she moved in front of him. She locked eyes with him as she extended her arm to the general. She saw the war waging behind his eyes. She knew his pride had been hurt but he still grasped her arm as she helped the man up and pulled him close.</p><p>"You are lucky I left your face alone. Wanheda really wanted to mess it up and send you home with a nasty scar." She whispered to the man.</p><p>"Thank you Wanheda. I was wrong about you." She nodded as let go of his arm.</p><hr/><p>She felt alive. She knew she was lucky and not every fight was going to be that easy. She looked up to where Lexa was standing and saw an eyebrow raised. She nodded at her before she spoke.</p><p>"<em>Elira kom Igranron</em> come forward." Lexa boomed out from her position on the stands.</p><p>She watched as Elira came through the crowd and waited for Falmir to make his way out of the pit. Once he had scaled the ladder out she jumped down into the pit and she felt the ground shake under this woman.</p><p>Her eyes immediately went to the double bladed polearm she was wielding. It had two blades on each end that faced opposite directions and were connected together by a long pole. She watched as Elira twirled the polearm around her body like it was a toy. Well shit. She thought as she gathered herself to go again.</p><p>"You will have to get in close again. She has you out matched when it comes to reach. You won't be able to take her down like you did with that other Jackass." Clarke let out an involuntary snort which caused Elira to raise an eyebrow at her.</p><p>"You most likely will bleed in this fight. I am still only giving you a fraction of my power. I don't want you to burn out like what happened to Ash." She heard the break in Wanheda's voice which was odd.</p><p>"<em>Ste yuj Klark</em>." She shook her mind as she felt a little more of <em>Wanhedas</em>' power course through her body. She lifted her gaze up to meet Elira who had stilled.</p><p>She flexed grip on her sword and rotated her wrist a couple of times to loosen it up. She settled her mind and took a couple of breaths.</p><p>"Seeing as Wanheda came away unscathed the second fight begins now." Lexa's voice boomed over the crowd.</p><p>Clarke saw out of the corner of her eye Lexa pointing at her. She nodded in response and saw Elira do the same. She saw her arm come down as she tuned out the crowd.</p><p>
  <strong>Clarke vs Elira</strong>
</p><p>She stood her ground as Elira approached. This woman walked with a confidence that she knew all too well. The woman was cocky because she could outreach most opponents. Clarke knew she would have to go on the attack this time. She started jogging towards the woman with her sword ready to go. If she could get in close she could win.</p><p>She turned her jog into a spring as she got closer. She saw Elira start to spring her polearm around as they headed for a collision. She saw the swing coming and quickly dodged to her left and swung with her sword aiming for the exposed side. Just as she was about to connect she saw the other blade come up to block her as Elira quickly moved the polearm in her hands. She felt the clash of metal as it reverberated through her arms.</p><p>She spun around the back of the taller woman trying to stay in her blind spot. She got slashed quickly with her dagger and cut the back of the woman's thigh. At this moment she was thankful for her knowledge of where arteries were located. She watched as the blood started to flow out of the right thigh. She quickly made her way around the woman again as she spun around to try and land a blow. She struck out at the other thigh but her move was expected this time and she felt a foot connect with her chest as she flew backwards. Her head hit the dirt and she rolled over coming to a stop on one knee.</p><p>She saw Elira come at her and went to block but with her vision still unfocused she misjudged and felt the steel of the woman's blade tear through her sleeve. The pain was instant. She let out an involuntary scream as she quickly moved away to assess the damage. She could feel the blood coming from the wound. It was deep but she still could move her arm. She looked back at her opponent and saw that she was frozen in her tracks. She followed her gaze and saw the puddle of black blood that was starting to form underneath her.</p><p>She shrugged and went on the attack using the distraction to her advantage. She ran as fast as she could and launched herself at the woman. She felt Wanheda's power course through her as she leapt over the woman and brought her sword down slicing her face from just above her right eye and coming to a stop and the bottom of her chin. She landed and skidded in the dirt. She stuck her hand out to stop her fall.</p><p>
  <em>"Now Clarke, go for her legs."</em>
</p><p>She ran full sprint at the woman with her sword and dagger in her hands. Just as Elira was going to swing down at her she went to her knees and slid between the woman slashing at her thighs. She felt the blood hit her face as she turned mid slide and got to her feet. She saw Elira stumble. This was her chance. She quickly got to her feet and charged the woman. She lowered her shoulder and collided with her lower back causing the taller woman to get knocked off her feet.</p><p>She tumbled off her and landed on her knee. She could feel more power start to course through her as she got to her feet and went on the attack again. Elira had got back to one knee as Clarke was on her again. She jumped on the woman's back and the added weight caused her to falter and stumble as she was trying to stand. Clarke quickly brought the dagger to the woman's throat and pressed with the point of her dagger to draw blood. She heard the woman's weapon hit the dirt.</p><p>"Wanheda wins again." The crowd went into a frenzy as Clarke started to apply what pressure she could to the woman's thighs.</p><hr/><p>She saw Nyko jump into the pit and head for her. She heard him slide to her side as he pulled out bandages. She grabbed the waterskin at his side as she cleaned the area trying to get as much dirt out of it as possible. They quickly wrapped the cuts tightly to stop the flow of the blood as a couple of the warriors came into the pit to assist Nyko. She tied the bandages off as she stepped back to let the warriors help lift the woman.</p><p>"Good fight <em>Wanheda</em>." She heard the woman say as she made her way out of the pit. She saw Nyko still standing beside her. She raised an eyebrow at him and he just pointed at her arm. Oh right. She held it out for him.</p><p>"You have <em>Natblida</em>?" She heard him ask and she nodded as he cleaned her wound.</p><p>"Then it is true. You are truly Wanheda." She nodded once more as she felt the bandage being applied. She looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was now halfway to its peak for the day. Holy shit she thought.</p><p>She felt the tug on her arm and looked back at Nyko. He pointed to the water skin and she went to hand it to him but he shook his head.</p><p>"Drink Wanheda." She nodded and slowly drank from the skin.</p><p>"As customary, there will be a break before the last two fights of the day. Return her in one hour and we will continue. As it stands now Wanheda has won two fights. Two more and she passes the gauntlet." Lexa's words broke through her mind and she heard the crowd start to chant her name as they dispersed. She capped the water skin and handed it back to Nyko.</p><p>"Mochaf Nyko." He nodded at her as he made way to leave the pit. She looked at her arm and flexed her hand in and out of a fist making sure she could still feel everything. She looked up as she heard her name being called out in her head. She immediately recognized the voice and looked at Lexa. That was new she thought as she made her way to the ladder.</p><p>She sheathed her weapons as she reached the base of the ladder. She started to climb and felt a twinge of pain as she gripped one of the rungs of the ladder. She shook her head as she continued to climb out of the pit. As she came out of the pit she was met with multiple pairs of shoes. She looked up and saw seven people waiting for her. She climbed the rest of the way out of the pit and locked eyes with Lexa. All she wanted to do was pull her into a hug but she resisted as there were to many people around.</p><p>"Well done so far Wanheda. In one hour we will continue. Use this time to get any wounds that need looking at, attended to." She saw the relief behind the green eyes and the pride there as well.</p><p>"Sha Heda" She said as she nodded at her love. Lexa nodded at her and turned to go check on her general.</p><p>"Holy shit Clarke that was amazing. Where did you learn to move like that?" She heard Monty ask as she watched Lexa enter Nyko's tent.</p><p>"Being trained by The commander has its perks I suppose. I would also say that having a spirit inside my mind helps as well." She smirked as they chuckled at her.</p><p>"I must say Clarke that was something to watch. Are you okay?" Bellamy asked as he moved closer than she felt comfortable with. She took a step back and sent him a look and he got the hint.</p><p>"Well I have a cut on my forearm, a couple bruised ribs, and a sore shoulder from knocking that woman over. I would say that I have been lucky so far. Overall I am fine." She shrugged as she started to walk towards Nyko's tent.</p><p>"Clarke, why are you doing this?" She stopped in her tracks at Bellamy's words.</p><p>"Why would you put yourself in a position where you could be seriously injured?" She spun around and faced him and she could feel an anger start to rise but she mentally told Wanheda to back down. Thankfully she listened.</p><p>"I am doing this to secure us a place down here. The more the Kongeda respects me the better chance we have at joining and thriving down here. I am doing this to prove to them that we belong down here." She took a breath trying to calm herself down.</p><p>"I already am in a position where I have a target on my back. I am known as Wanheda to the clans and that puts me in the crosshair of a lot of people. There is a legend among the clans that if someone kills Wanheda then they can control death." She heard the breath of each member of Skaikru being sucked in.</p><p>"Word is spreading as we speak about what happened at the mountain. Once word reaches certain people, people will come for me. I know the risks of what I am doing. This will make me be respected among The commander's generals and I will have earned my place here." She saw Lincoln nodding in agreement with her words.</p><p>"Then why come here where I...I mean we can't protect you." That did it. She was on Bellamy faster than anyone could blink. She grabbed him by his jacket and lifted him and pinned him to the side of the building they were next to. She saw the fear on his face as she could feel Wanheda taking over.</p><p><em>"Belomi kom Skaikru, I am Wanheda and I do not need your protection. I am doing this to protect my people. I told you once to lose your feelings and this will be my final warning."</em> She saw him nod his head at her and she released him and he landed on his ass. She turned and saw the look of shock on everyone's face.</p><p>She brushed past them and felt Octavia and Lincoln on her heels. She made her way to Nyko's tent and could feel the eyes on her from everyone. She stopped outside of the healers tent and looked at her generals.</p><p>"Wait for me here. I won't be long."</p><p>"Sha Wanheda." they bowed at her and she turned to enter the tent.</p><p>She entered the tent and saw Lexa standing next to her general talking to her. Both of them looked up at her as she came closer. Elira tried to sit up further but Clarke just shook her head. She came to the other side of her.</p><p>"How are you Elira?" She saw the raised eyebrow and chuckled.</p><p>"I am okay. Not the first time this has happened. Thank you for helping Nyko."</p><p>"It was only right since I was the one that did it." She smiled as she looked up at Lexa.</p><p>"Do you happen to know where Echo is?" Lexa raised an eyebrow at her.</p><p>"Sha, she should be near the armory. She said something about getting a weapon fixed."</p><p>"Mochaf Heda." She saw the unanswered questions written on her face. Clarke nodded at her love and left the tent. It was hard to not say what she wanted in front of so many people.</p><p>She made her way to the armory with her generals on her tail. She knew Bellamy listened to Echo or at least tried to.</p><hr/><p>She walked into the armory knowing she would have to be back at the pit soon. She looked around through the small amount of smoke that was leaving through the roof and found her target. She walked close by and could tell a conversation in <em>Trigedasleng</em> was being had. She let out a small grunt announcing her presence. Echo turned around at the noise and went still.</p><p>"Wanheda" she said as she bowed.</p><p>"I need to talk to you alone." The blacksmith understood and bowed as he went past. She stopped the man and told him just to wait outside, that she wouldn't be long.</p><p>"After our fight today I need you to put Bellamy through the paces. He is still holding on to feelings for me." She saw Echo raise an eyebrow at her.</p><p>"Interesting Wanheda. He told me that he held no feelings for you but I could tell something was off." She sighed as she leaned against a table.</p><p>"What I tell you doesn't leave this tent."</p><p>"Sha Wanheda."</p><p>"On the ark he ran a fighting pit of sorts. All of the teenagers took part in this club. It was our way of rebelling against the adults. At first I didn't take part in them because it wasn't my style. I came by one night after me and my mother got into a fight about my studies." She saw the confusion on her face but she continued before she lost the reason she was telling this story.</p><p>"What I didn't know was that if you were there you fought. I was shoved into the middle of the circle and was forced to fight. I got my ass handed to me. After that Bellamy took an interest in me and started to work with me so next time I fought I would win." She started to pace as things fell into place.</p><p>"As the training went on I started to notice I would pick up on things quickly and would be able to pick on calls for certain people. I wound up running through fights one night and no one would fight me because I beat everyone. Bellamy was the only one left." She stopped and looked at Echo and she could feel Wanheda start to stir.</p><p>"We fought and it was even at first but then something happened and he turned into someone else. He knew my weakness and knew where to strike. I stood no chance at that point. The fight was called quickly after I hit the ground. I had blood coming from every pore on my body. I had broken arms and legs. My ribs were busted and I could barely move." She started to feel the rage build. She told Wanheda to calm down.</p><p>"He didn't even register that I wasn't moving. He beat me so badly that I couldn't go to my mother for help because everything would be exposed. Raven and Wick took me to engineering and they found my dad. He took one look at me and knew immediately what had happened. He didn't say a word as he worked quickly to try and fix anything he could." She saw Echo was angry but was doing good to hide it.</p><p>"Once he got me cleaned up, he called my mom and told her that I had gotten into a fight and needed help. She of course had questions but my dad had already come up with a pretty convincing story and she bought it. I was out of commission for 3 months while everything healed. I did my studies in my room and kept to myself vowing that would never happen again."</p><p>"One night I was staring out one of the windows on the ark when I felt Wanheda for the first time. It was brief but she said my time was coming and that Bellamy would never hurt me like that again. It is why I can't take care of him myself. If I do he will not live." That revelation stunned Echo.</p><p>"He has been marked by Wanheda correct?" Clarke nodded.</p><p>"It's why I can never fully trust him. I almost hurt him today before I came here. I don't want to lose anyone else but if he keeps this shit up I won't be able to stop myself." She took a breath.</p><p>"I know we still don't trust each other Echo but he listens to you. I don't know what happened inside the mountain and I don't need to." She was stopped by Echo kneeling in front of her.</p><p>"I will do what you ask Wanheda. I promise Bellamy will be dealt with and he won't bother you anymore." She placed a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"Mochaf Echo." The woman rose and Clarke extended her arm out to her. She felt Echo embrace it and she let a small grin appear.</p><p>"You have already proven that you are trying to better yourself. Thank you for what you said to my mother." Echo nodded as they let go of each other.</p><p>"I will do my best to prove I am worth it to Heda and your trust. I am tired of looking over my shoulder. You have proven that you are worth protecting just as Heda has." Clarke smiled as she heard the horn sound.</p><p>"Shall we." Echo smiled.</p><p>"Sha I believe I need to prepare to kick your ass Wanheda." Clarke snorted as they left the tent.</p><p>"We shall see Echo."</p><p>
  <strong>Clarke vs Borthal</strong>
</p><p>If she was able to equate the pulse of energy she felt as she walked back to the pit she would have to relate it to what she imagined the soccer game she watched with her dad would be like in person. She was hit with a pulse of excitement as everyone watched as she made her way through the crowd. She toned out the noise as she neared the edge of the pit once more. She could feel the subtle throb coming from her wound and for some reason it was calming. She rolled her shoulders as she reached the rim of the pit. She looked up and saw her love.</p><p>Their eyes met and Clarke gathered the strength she needed as she leapt into the pit again. Her feet impacted the ground and she could feel Wanheda return once more. She felt the fire start to spread throughout her body as she rose and drew her sword. She tested her movements as she ready herself. Shit she thought. She felt the stiffness and the pull of the bandage come from her jacket. Fuck it. She shed her jacket as the slice in the leather was proving to be a burden. She grabbed the daggers from the back and slid them into two spare sheathes she attached to the back of her pants.</p><p>She looked up at Lexa and she saw the raised eyebrow and just sent her a smirk. Clarke heard boots hit the dirt on the other side of the pit as Borthal landed. She laid eyes on him and saw the cocky smirk that was always there. She couldn't get the image of the first time she met Murphy out of her head. He was about as close as you could get to someone from the ark without actually being there. That made him dangerous in her mind. Too easy to blend in, too easy to face into the ranks of Skaikru.</p><p>She watched as he stood stock still as he rested his hands on the hilts of his weapons at his sides. She had a feeling that besides Echo, this would be her greatest test today. She studied him as she waited for Lexa to start the fight. She noticed that he had moved his weapons to his waist. Interesting she thought. She knew it would be easier for him to draw them this way and in turn would allow him to start his attack quicker. She flexed her wrist that held her sword as she heard the crowd quiet down. It was time she guessed.</p><p>"It is time for the next fight." The crowd roared at her words. She heard the chant of Wanheda break out as well. Well then she thought.</p><p>"If both warriors are ready then we can begin." She heard Borthal unsheathe his swords and nodded at Lexa. She rolled her shoulders and did the same.</p><p>"Then begin." She heard Lexa say as her mind zeroed in on Borthal.</p><p>"I really don't like this guy and he hasn't even said a word." She heard the disdain come from Wanheda as she felt her power course through her.</p><p>"I would let you loose but I don't want to expose us to that yet." Clarke said as she started to pace back and forth. She heard the sigh come from Wanheda.</p><p>"Then let's do this shall we." Clarke couldn't control the smile that came on her face as she flashed teeth towards Borthal.</p><p>Her little show had the desired effect as the smile dropped from his face.</p><p>She could tell that depending on how her opponent reacted to certain things is whether or not she would go on the attack or wait. She wanted to see what this cocky bastard would, so she waited. It didn't take long for her to get her answer. She smiled as he charged straight at her.</p><p>"<em>Overconfidence will be his downfall Clarke."</em> She kept the smile on her face as he got closer.</p><p>She waited till the last minute and he was already mid swing before she moved. She sidestepped to her right and stuck her leg out as it caused the man to stumble. Clearly he was not expecting how fast she could move.</p><p>"<em>Don't toy with him Clarke. I know you want to wipe that smile off his face but don't allow yourself to become cocky."</em> She knew Wanheda was right.</p><p>She waited again as he came at her. She blocked the first sword as she spun around the man. She swung with her sword and felt it be deflected by the other blade. She pressed her attack trying to keep the man on his heels. Swing after swing was parried as he had an extra sword. She knew she would need to change up strategies to be able to win.</p><p>She felt a foot connect with her legs as she was caught off guard. Her back hit the dirt hard and she rolled to her left as a sword came down towards her. She put some distance between herself and Borthal. She could feel a bruise starting to form but ignored it for now. She watched as she made a new plan.</p><p>"Is that the best you got, Borthal." She taunted as he looked at her.</p><p>"My mother could fight better than you." She smirked as she got her desired result.</p><p>He charged at her and she could hear the laughter of Wanheda ring inside her head. She waited till the last moment for him to get close. She stepped to her right, dropped her sword and pulled out both of her daggers. She quickly swiped with the one in her left hand as she spun. She felt the blade tear through the man's pants as she spun and connected with her right dagger on his opposite leg. She moved faster as she felt the fire burn inside her.</p><p>She pressed her attack and got in close to him. She moved quickly as she slashed at his side aiming for a spot about mid side. She would slash with one dagger and stab with the other as she danced around the man never giving him enough time to react. She could see red soaking his clothes. She had been careful not to hit any major arteries after what happened with Elira.</p><p>She continued her lethal dance and saw that Borthal was slowing. She came around to his front and sent her foot straight at his left knee. She heard the crunch and his leg buckled backwards and he went to one knee. It was over and she knew it. Borthal still tried to stand and fight and she smiled at him. She deflected his sword and stabbed his forearm. She caught his sword as it dropped from his hand. She blocked his next swing and disarmed him of his other. She held the sword to his throat as his hands went up in surrender. She smiled and pulled the dagger that was still in his forearm out and she heard the soft whimper that came from the man.</p><p>She looked at him as Nyko came up to them. She flipped the sword in the air and caught it by the flat of the blade and handed it to the man handle first. He nodded at her as he took his weapon. She regretted not taking into account his pride as she felt the blade cut through her skin. She looked at the man and saw that he was moving again and she felt a pain shoot through her calf. She looked down and saw a dagger sticking out of it.</p><p><em>"Yu don nou koma"(You have no honor.)</em> She said to the man as her fist connected with his face. She watched as the man slumped over completely knocked out.</p><p>She reached down and pulled the dagger out of leg. She knew she probably should have left in but Nyko was already handing her bandages and something to clean the wound with.</p><p>"Wanheda, once more has been victorious. Borthal disgraced himself with his act after the battle was over. He will be dealt with accordingly." Clarke heard the crowd go into a frenzy as a couple of the gonas came into the pit to help Nyko.</p><hr/><p>She cleaned the wound on her calf first and wrapped it. She flexed the muscle as she stood on her tiptoes. She felt the pain shoot through her but could tell it was dulled.</p><p><em>"I can mitigate some of the pain Clarke. The more we work together the more I will be able to help. I am not saying that you won't be able to feel pain. Over time it won't necessarily affect you like others as long as you don't burn out and give into the power I offer."</em> She tensed at Wanheda's words. She really didn't want to have that conversation right now.</p><p><em>"Then don't cause me to get to that point. I am still learning what exactly you being with me means. I have felt you this whole time. I am honestly afraid to let you loose. I have seen what your power can do. I will not fall to you."</em> She mentally prepared herself for whatever retort would be coming as she cleaned the wound on her hand.</p><p>"<em>I believe you won't Clarke, you are different in this life. You are stronger than what you saw."</em> She sighed as she handed the materials back to Nyko. He nodded at her as he continued to work on Borthal.</p><p>
  <em>"How many times have you been through this with me?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"10"</em>
</p><p><em>"Jok."</em> She was not expecting that answer.</p><p><em>"Each one was different but ended the same. With yours and Lexa's deaths in war. No matter what I tried it never worked and you both would succumb to the bloodlust and rage."</em> She looked up at Lexa as she took in Wanheda's words.</p><p>"<em>What has changed this time that makes you sure it won't be the same."</em></p><p>
  <em>"You have. You forgave Lexa quicker than the other times and you have started to forgive yourself. You may not realize it but you making that plan with Lexa caused a ripple effect to happen. You never brought up that possibility before. Every time you felt betrayed and it severely affected you. It changed you and sent you down a dark path."</em>
</p><p><em>"Then work with me instead of trying to control me. That is the only way I see this working. We need to trust each other. I will need your help against Echo. She is different from the others. This is our first test to see if you actually mean what you say."</em> She heard movement beside her and saw Borthal was being helped up. She felt Wanheda agree with her and she let a smile show on her face at the minor victory. She looked back at Lexa and nodded as she retrieved her sword.</p><p>She winced as she gripped the handle. That could be a problem she thought as she turned back to face the crowd. She could Wanheda with her and could feel more fire course through her as she closed her eyes. She could hear animals that were miles off, she could smell rain in clouds that were far off, she saw a faint red glow and looked to where it was and realized it was the outline of Lexa. Her eyes snapped open and found that she was looking directly at Lexa again. What she saw should have been impossible. She saw the faint glow still hovering about her love. She shook her head trying to see if it was just an illusion but she had no such luck. She saw the raised eyebrow and just smirked at her love.</p><p>"It is time for the last fight of the day. Echo kom Azgeda come forward." Clarke heard the chorus of boos that still persisted as Echo leapt into the pit and landed with a cat like grace. She saw the red glow start to grow but then subsided as Lexa quieted the crowd.</p><p>"This is both a challenge for Wanheda as it Echo. Both are looking to prove their worth to the Kongeda. Gon daun kom koma(Fight with honor)." She heard the slow beat of a staff being pounder from the generals that were still standing around the pit. Slowly more people picked up the chant. Before she knew it everyone was chanting for Wanheda.</p><p>"I think it is time. Allow as much power as you think is necessary. We do this together." Clarke thought she had felt power earlier before Echo came to the pit but she was wrong. Everything around her focused and became clear. Her mind tuned out the chant, she felt the nagging pain from her previous wounds start to fade. The fire that had become a constant spread to every extremity as she started to pace. So this is what power feels like she thought.</p><p>"If Wanheda and Echo are ready." They both nodded at her.</p><p>"Then begin." Lexa lowered her arm for the final time today as they both took off at each other with a war cry.</p><p>
  <strong>Wanheda vs Echo</strong>
</p><p>Clarke didn't hesitate as she swung with her sword. It was blocked by one of Echo's axes and she could smell the poison as she moved to slash with her dagger. It was blocked as they spun around each other. She locked eyes with Echo and saw a smirk plastered on her face. She shot one back at her as they collided again. Clarke really was wishing she had another sword, as it would have made attacking easier. She swung with her sword again as she stepped to her left. Echo countered and swung with her axe aiming for her shoulder.</p><p>Clarke raised her arm and felt the point of the axe pierce her skin as it slid over her forearm. She realized that her arm was in the perfect position to do something. She used the distraction and turned her sword around in her hand and threw a punch towards Echo's face. She felt her jaw move under her fist as she yanked her other arm back. She could feel the axe slip from Echo's grasp but not before it cut further into her arm. Shit she thought, as she wondered what kind of effect this poison would have on her. She remembered Lexa telling her that it would just be one that impared her reflexes. So far she knew it wasn't fast acting at least it wasn't because of Wanheda.</p><p>She grabbed the axe from where it landed and the weight surprisingly felt good in her hand. She watched as Echo recovered quickly and drew her sword.</p><p>"I am impressed, Wanheda. Not many people can get my weapon from me. Let see how well you can use it while the poison courses through you." She saw the smirk flash on her face as they started to circle one another.</p><p>"<em>Echo kom Azgeda,</em> you should know that I am capable of so much more. I am the commander of Death." Clarke raised her arms as she played to the crowd.</p><p>"Then show me what you got!." Echo said as she charged.</p><p>Clarke felt her coming before she even turned around. She waited keeping her back towards her. She could hear her footsteps as she got closer. She shot out her right elbow and connected with her abdomen. She spun to her right and sliced with her sword and could feel the blade slicing through the skin on Echo's back.</p><p>Echo turned around and pressed her attack Clarke defended and made a mistake. She went for a slash with the axe and misjudged how it would swing. Echo saw this and caught her in the side with her axe. She could feel the skin tear as the axe was pulled from her.</p><p>She quickly turned and slashed with the axe catching echo in the thigh. She saw the blood come from it and she smiled. Echo swung at her with her sword and she was slow to react. The poison was starting to burn through the small resilience Wanheda provided.</p><p>She felt The sword tear through her bicep and she lost the grip on her sword. She scrambled away from Echo and checked her arm. The cut was deep but she still had her arm. She looked up at echo and saw red. She could feel the rage start to take over as fire spread through her trying to counteract the poison. She could feel it failing and she knew if she didn't end this soon she would lose.</p><p>She charged at Echo and swung with the axe using both hands to try and get more power behind it. She felt the axe connect with the other one and Clarke tried to pull it away but she felt a boot connect with her chest. She went sailing across the pit and landed hard on her back. She looked up at the sky and saw her vision was swimming. Fucking poison she thought as she rolled over to stand.</p><p>"So this is the mighty Wanheda. The one that slew the mountain. You have a long way to go to prove anything to me." Clarke saw what she was doing. She was playing into the hatred that people had for her. She would guess Azgeda would feel the same. She struggled to her feet as the poison continued to impair her movements.</p><p>"<em>Echo kom Azgeda</em>, I may have a long way to go for a lot of things but I can promise you, just because today may not go in my favor the next time we fight it will be different." She charged at Echo with a war cry giving it all she had before it was over.</p><p>She grabbed her daggers as she leapt at Echo. She felt her arms being caught and then she was flying through the air again. Before she could stand Echo was on her with a dagger to her throat. She looked at the arm but she felt like she was moving in slow motion.</p><p>"It is over Clarke. I will help you get used to the poison. I know Wanheda can help but you need a natural resistance to it. You fought well." Clarke found her eyes through the fog and saw a genuine smile on her face. Clarke sighed and slowly raised her hands in defeat.</p><p>"<em>Echo kom Azgeda</em> is the winner. That concludes today's fights. As it stands Clarke only needs to win one more fight to be successful." The crowd first booed then cheered at Lexa words. Clarke felt herself being pulled up and could feel her arm being slung over a shoulder.</p><p>"You all may return to your duties. Be back here at first light for the next fights." The crowd cheered as they dispersed.</p><p>Clarke felt like she was walking through quicksand. She really wanted to figure out what it was made of but her thought we jumbled. She felt her other arm being slung over another shoulder and saw it was Nyko.</p><p>"We need to get her the antidote." Echo nodded and pulled something from her side. She took some and put it in her mouth first then gave it to Nyko.</p><p>"Wanheda, can you open your mouth?" She nodded and did just that.</p><p>The taste was awful and she felt her mouth being held shut so it wouldn't come back up. She fought against her natural instinct to spit it out. She swallowed and felt her mouth being released. She looked up and saw the ladder in front of her. Nyko went first and helped her up as she slowly climbed. She hoped this would pass quickly.</p><p>She made it to Nyko's tent with the help of Echo and she thought it was Lincoln but she was unsure. She felt furs and relaxed as she saw Nyko start to patch her wounds. She registered someone else coming into the tent as she started to succumb to the blackness.</p><p>
  <strong>Lexa POV</strong>
</p><p>She watched the final fight with great interest. She knew Clarke would lose once she was struck by the first axe. She had specifically given Echo the poison and the antidote to use. It was the first of many that her love would need to build a resistance to. It was the most common among the clans and was a mix of herbs and a drop of snake venom.</p><p>She felt pride course through her as Clarke continued to fight as the poison slowly took over. She knew Clarke would make good on her promise to Echo and the thought almost made her smile. She called the winner when she saw Clarke's hands raised in defeat. She dismissed everyone and had to hold back the urge to run to her side to help her out of the pit. She looked at Lincoln and he just nodded at her.</p><p>She walked over to Nyko's tent as Clarke was taken inside. She saw Octavia and Skaikru standing outside the tent. She paused and they all turned to her.</p><p>"Heda, will she be okay?" She heard Monty ask. She looked at the boy and could tell that they all shared the same expression.</p><p>"Sha, Echo blades were coated in a poison that attacked her nervous system and caused her movement to be impaired." She saw the rage start to appear but she held up her hand.</p><p>"I knew about this because I was the one that gave the poison to Echo. It is the most common one the clans use and Clarke needed to be exposed to it. She has already been given the antidote and will wake in a couple of hours with a light headache." Everyone but Bellamy seemed to relax at her words. Thankfully Echo came out of the tent before he could say anything.</p><p>"<em>Heda</em>" she said as she bowed to her.</p><p>"You fought well today. I am glad my choice was not wrong."</p><p>"<em>Mochaf</em>." She bowed again and then turned to Bellamy.</p><p>"<em>Heda, Ai gaf gon borrow Belomi. Wanheda asked Ai gon hon daun gifa in kom something dei de involves em."(Heda, I need to borrow Bellamy. Wanheda asked me to take care of something that involves him.)</em> Lexa raised an eyebrow at her.</p><p><em>"Sha, guan au."(yes, go)</em> Echo nodded at her and grabbed Bellamy by his arm and drug him away from the tent. She turned back to Skaikru and raised an eyebrow at them.</p><p>"Something happened between him and Clarke. You will have to talk to Clarke because it is not our place to tell you." Raven said and she nodded at them.</p><p>"Indra will show you to where you will be staying while you are here. You are free to roam as always. You are welcome here in TonDC."</p><p>"<em>Mochaf Heda.</em>" They all said as they took their leave.</p><p>She entered the tent and saw Nyko finishing wrapping the wounds Clarke had suffered. He looked at her and nodded as he tied the last bandage.</p><p>"<em>She jos went hosh daun. Em breathing ste normal."( she just went to sleep. Her breathing is normal.)</em></p><p>"<em>Mochaf Nyko."</em> He nodded at her as he went to gather some things.</p><p>She looked at Clarke and saw her chest rise and fall. She grabbed the stool Nyko was sitting on and sat next to her love. She looked at the wounds and could see that she had bandages on her arms, thigh and side. Lexa knew that by the time this was over she would have more. She hoped that Clarke would heal as fast as she did. Being a Natblida causes them to heal quicker than people with normal blood.</p><p>She was surprised when no one asked many questions when Clarke first bled. She knew the generals would have questions but it would help her claim of being Wanheda. She reached out and grabbed one of her hands. She felt the rough bandage that had been replaced. She rubbed her thumb over her palm as she watched her chest rise and fall.</p><p>"You made me proud today Ai hodnes. You will continue to do great things." She whispered as she pulled her hand up to her mouth and left a kiss on it as she gently placed her arm at her side.</p><p>She stood and saw Nyko just coming into the tent. He nodded at her as he came in.</p><p>"Send for me when she wakes."</p><p>"Sha Heda." She nodded as she exited the tent. She looked up at the sky and saw that it was a couple hours from nightfall.</p><p>She made her way through the camp heading in the direction she saw Echo take off to. She knew something was going on between Echo and Bellamy and she wanted to find out.</p><p>
  <strong>Bellamy POV</strong>
</p><p>One minute he was standing outside the healers tent the next minute he was forcefully being dragged away by Echo. He was confused and angry. All he knew was that his name and Clarke had been mentioned. He felt himself being thrown in front of Echo. He stumbled as he tried to catch his balance and take in his surroundings. There was no one around and they were in a clearing surrounded by trees. Well shit he thought.</p><p>He looked at the stone cold face of Echo and could feel himself start to sweat. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye but before he could register what it was he was on his side in the dirt. He could feel his vision start to swim as he rolled to his back.</p><p>"What the fuck was that for Echo." he said as he tried to stand only to find a foot connecting with his chest.</p><p>"<em>Wanheda</em> has warned you twice now Bellamy." he tried to stand again and managed to block the first fist that came his way. He felt the second one connect with his right side of his face this time. He started to see stars as he felt his head hit the dirt.</p><p>"You have now been warned by me now. If you want to live, you will heed what I am saying." He looked up at the woman standing over him.</p><p>"Do as she has asked and pray to whatever god you wish that <em>Heda</em> does not find out about what you did on the ark. You are now under my watch, not because of <em>Wanheda's</em> orders but because you obviously can't be trusted to keep yourself in check." He swallowed as he saw the flash of metal coming from the dagger she played with it.</p><p>"From now on he does not leave your side<em> Echo kom Azgeda.</em> He will serve as your next test as a second that needs to be trained in our ways and what respect means." He saw her stiffen as he heard the deathly calm voice come from the commander.</p><p>"Bellamy what is Echo talking about? Do not lie." He knew now that he was caught. He saw the dagger come from her sheathe as she waited. He swallowed as he propped himself on his elbows slowly.</p><p>"On the ark I ran a fighting ring between the teenagers. It became the worst kept secret and eventually the council found out about it. They never came to where it was held but forced me to make it available for them." He saw the eyebrow raise but neither of them spoke.</p><p>"Every once in a while I was made to rig a fight so one of the council members could win a bet they made against someone."</p><p>"How did they make you do this. If you ran this how were you forced to do this?" He looked up at the commander and swallowed.</p><p>"They had just found my sister and would threaten to find a way to float her if I didn't do what they wanted. I did what they asked and went about my business. What I did not anticipate was Clarke showing up one night." He saw the slight tense but it was gone quickly.</p><p>"She was there and there was a rule that if you were there you fought. I regretted that rule immediately because I knew that if she got hurt I would be in trouble. Her mother may have been quiet on the council but she had some pull with Jaha." He swallowed again trying to remain calm.</p><p>"She got beat that night and I made sure to never let that happen again. I started to work with her as best as I could. She was a quick learner and eventually was able to make her way through everyone. She became the star child for a lot of the council members except Jaha. He knew that I had trained her and he could use my sister against her." He shivered as that night came back to him. He saw the look on Echo's face and he knew that she had heard Clarke's side of the story.</p><p>"He brought me to the airlock and my sister was in there unconscious. He told me that if I did not beat Clarke in the next fight my sister would die. I reluctantly agreed and made my way to where we fought. I made the announcement that since she made it through everyone else all that was left was me."</p><p>"It was the first time I saw one of the council members on the upper deck of where we were. Jaha was there watching to make sure I did what he wanted." He looked away and couldn't bring himself to look at either of them.</p><p>"I knew where she was weak and used it to my gain. She didn't even stand a chance. At the first sign of blood something came over me and I couldn't hold back. It didn't matter that the crowd had stopped cheering, it didn't matter that she was in pain. I just wanted to save my sister. The next thing I know I am being pulled off of her and she was just laying there lifeless. Raven and Wick told everyone to leave and they took her away. I never saw her again till we landed on the ground." He could feel the rage coming from both of them.</p><p>"I found out later from Raven that I had almost killed her. Whatever she told you is true and why she still lets me live I don't know. I thought that if I could lead with her it would show her that I tried to change but I guess it didn't matter. I thought I had gotten over her from the time we spent training but it all came back when we landed here." He finally looked up at the two women and gulped. The commander's eyes had gone black and Echo was now pacing.</p><p>"Where is this Jaha now?" He faltered before he spoke.</p><p>"No one knows. He left after you returned him saying something about a safe haven past the dead zone. As far as Clarke was concerned he was good as dead and none of us disagreed with her." He let out a scream as he felt a dagger bury into his thigh. He looked at it and saw it was the commanders.</p><p>"You are lucky that is all the pain you will feel." He watched as she ripped it out of his thigh and wiped it on his pants. He could feel the blood coming from the wound.</p><p>"While you played a part in what happened, it would be wrong to punish you for something in the past." He let out a sigh knowing he was lucky.</p><p>"However, if you step out of line again and do not do what <em>Wanheda</em> has asked, whatever that is. You will have to deal with not just Echo and Wanheda, You will have to deal with me as well." Bellamy gulped as he watched Echo move next to the commander.</p><p>"<em>Heda, He ste marked by wanheda. Skaigeda na nou na able gon hold bakon taim he does nou listen Disha gou."(He is marked by Wanheda. Skaigeda will not be able to hold back if he does not listen this time.)</em> He didn't know what was being said but it probably wasn't good.</p><p>
  <em>"Ena den Yu better make sure he does. Taim bilaik Seken falls au kom line den Yu are responsible."(Well then you better make sure he does. If your second falls out of line then you are responsible.)</em>
</p><p><em>"Sha Heda."</em> He watched as the commander turned and left.</p><hr/><p>Once she was out of sight Echo was next to him tearing a piece of his shirt and wrapping his wound. She looked at him and for once she looked worried.</p><p>"I am sorry Echo." he breathed out and he felt her movements still.</p><p>"I shouldn't have lied to you. I thought I was done with my feelings for her but watching her fight today brought it all back and before I could stop myself I said something I shouldn't have. I thought Clarke was going to slit my throat right then."</p><p>"You are lucky to be alive right now Bellamy. You are marked by Wanheda and that is not a good thing. You are on thin ice. Clarke told me to deal with you because if she had to you would not be alive." To say he was stunned was an understatement.</p><p>"That night changed the both of you. Clarke became the host for Wanheda that night. She may not have known it but she was linked with her spirit way before the mountain. Now if you mess up it just isn't your ass on the line. I really don't feel like dying when I just got my second chance." He nodded at her as she stood and extended her arm.</p><p>"When we aren't busy with the remaining fights we train and keep you away from Clarke for now. It will be the best for both of you. I am required to stay through the next two days which means you stay as well. The rest of Skaikru will be leaving in the morning." He was about to argue when he saw her eyebrow raise at him.</p><p>"You are my second now, which means you have to do as I say. I will be teaching you our ways and how to act around <em>Heda and Wanheda</em>. I know Clarke being on that level is shocking but in our culture she has almost the same amount of power <em>Heda</em> does. What she has told you is true. This gauntlet will go a long way to make our people accept yours." He felt like he side for the millionth time.</p><p>"I have a lot to learn don't I?"</p><p>"<em>Sha Belomi</em>."</p><p>"Well show me where I am staying because it is getting late." She nodded as they made their way to what he would come to find out was Echo's private tent.</p><p>
  <strong>Lexa POV</strong>
</p><p>She had made it back to camp just as the sun was beginning to set. Her mind was racing as she took in what Bellamy had told her. She knew that impaling his thigh was the wrong move but her rage had consumed her and she was lucky that was all that happened. The news that he had been marked was interesting and would explain why Clarke tried to stay away from him. She was puzzled as to why she still was trying to help but then she realized that was who her love was at her core. No matter what she tried to save everyone. She knew it would never happen but it was what she loved about her. It was ironic that someone like Clarke would become the host of death but it made all the more sense as well. Clarke was kind natured and wanted to keep everything living while Wanheda wanted death and destruction. It was a perfect balance when they came together.</p><p>She saw the Skaikru huddle around a campfire talking with some Trikru. She had been informed that they would be leaving for Camp Jaha in the morning as they didn't want to leave Abby unguarded for too long. She had thanked Kane for coming and offered to send some warriors to assist in furthering their plans for winter along. He agreed and thanked her again.</p><p>She strode past them as she made her way to her tent. When she stepped through she was met by Clarke. She was stunned as she saw Clarke sitting on her throne. It was obvious that she was still tired as she was currently asleep on said throne. She smiled at the sight and wondered why she hadn't been informed that she was awake.</p><p>"Don't get mad at Nyko. He tried to keep me there and inform you but I told him I would inform you myself." She chuckled as she started to remove her gear.</p><p>"Where were you exactly?" She stilled as she looked back at her love.</p><p>"Seeing what you had Echo take care off." She watched Clarke's eyes blow open wide.</p><p>"Please tell me he is still alive. I know that Wanheda wants him dead and a part of me does as well but I still think he can be of use." She smiled as she continued to undress.</p><p>"For now he does. He may be limping for the next couple of days as I may or may not have impaled his thigh with my dagger." She heard her name come from Clarke's mouth as a muffled sigh.</p><p>"He is lucky that I can't punish him for his past mistake that I had no control over. Echo is now his <em>Fos</em> with strict orders to keep him in line. If she doesn't she will be held responsible for his actions. Just like I am responsible for you as your <em>Fos</em>." She approached Clarke slowly as she locked eyes with her love.</p><p>"Now tell me why my <em>Sekon</em> is sitting on my throne. Only <em>Heda</em> is allowed to sit on that throne and anyone that is found there that is not <em>Heda</em> is to be punished." She saw Clarke's eyes go dark as she got closer. Interesting she thought.</p><p>"Well you see <em>Fos</em> I was wanting to surprise you with me being fine but when I got here I fell asleep. It won't happen again." She saw Clarke gulp as she climbed the steps to her throne.</p><p>"You are lucky that you are not any normal <em>Sekon</em>, <em>Ai hodnes.</em> The normal punishment for this crime is lashings. But I could think of a more suitable punishment but it will have to wait as our dinner is on its way." She pulled back and let out a chuckle at the state Clarke was in.</p><p>"You are a cruel woman Lexa." She smiled as she pulled Clarke close to her.</p><p>"You have no idea <em>Ai hodnes.</em>" She whispered to her as she kissed her neck. She felt the shiver run through Clarke and she smiled.</p><p>"You said something about dinner right. I am starving." She laughed as Clarke tried to distract herself from that way her body was reacting to her touch. She knew Clarke was not ready for that step yet but she was having fun teasing her.</p><p>"Sha I did." As if on cue a guard brought the food in and set it on the table and left without even looking at them. She saw the raised eyebrow Clarke was throwing at her and she just kissed it and led her to the table.</p><p>"My guards are under strict orders to not speak of anything that goes on in this tent. For all they know you are still in Nyko's tent and I am having dinner with someone else." She heard the huff come from her love and she laughed.</p><p>"Well I'm not and neither are you." Clarke stabbed the meat and tore into it.</p><p>"A little jealous of that thought now are we?" She teased as she began to eat.</p><p>"<em>Sha Leska</em>. I wish we didn't have to hide this but I understand why we do."</p><p>"The time will come to where we don't have to hide but we have to play this right. Trust me I would love nothing more than to be able to kiss you when I want and wherever I want. For the first time in a long time I want to show the world that I am in love but I can't because it would be used against both of us." She saw Clarke smile, blush and nod in agreement with her.</p><p>"I know Lexa, and I feel the same way. " She nodded as they ate in a comfortable silence just enjoying the other's presence content to stay that way until it was time to retire for the night.</p><p>
  <strong>Polis</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Murphy POV</strong>
</p><p>He felt the cold water hit him like a truck once more. This bald fuck was really starting to piss him off. He was still unaware of how long he had been here but had done what he was asked. He gave the bare minimum to keep himself alive. He may hate Clarke for what had happened but she was the one that stopped Bellamy from killing him.</p><p>As much as he wanted to completely betray Skaikru he couldn't bring himself to turn his back on Clarke. He had come to realize that she was doing the best she could and he respected that. She had been the one to try and work with him before he fucked up and gave the knife to Charlotte. He had known what had haunted that little girl and used it as a way to get back at Jaha through his son.</p><p>He let his need for revenge blind him and it wound up with him being banished. Then he ran into the one man he didn't want to see but before he could kill him they were captured and he was brought to this place. Whatever this place was that is.</p><p>He moved his arms and felt them rub against the ropes he was still tied with. He could feel his skin being rubbed raw again as he tried to find a way out of his binds. He looked around with the one eye he could see out of. He thought that his answers would keep him from being hit but he was wrong. His left eye was swollen shut and he could feel a couple broken ribs with every intake of breath. The most degrading thing he thought was the fact that he was in only his underwear. He had been stripped sometime after he arrived here.</p><p>He laid his eyes on the bald man as he paced back and forth. He watched as it seemed like the man had received some bad news. This was the first time he saw this man like this. He tensed slightly as the man stopped and stared at him. He tensed even more when he saw the whip in the man's hand.</p><p>"I need more answers, boy." He tried to prepare for the pain but it was to no avail. He felt the whip tear through his chest and he felt it tear the skin and set his body on fire. He let out a scream as another lashing connected.</p><p>"How long has your leader been <em>Wanheda</em>?" Murphy was silent. Is he talking about Clarke? And who the hell is this Wanheda person.</p><p>"I don't know what you are talking about. And who the hell is this Wanheda person." He let out another scream as he was lashed again.</p><p>"Liar!" The man screamed at him as he swung the whip again.</p><p>Scream after Scream flesh tore away from his body as he continued to answer truthfully. He had no idea what this asshole was talking about. He felt a fist connect with him and then he saw black again.</p><p>
  <strong>2 hours later</strong>
</p><p>He was awoken once again by cold water but this time he was hanging upside down and backwards. He tried to get his bearings but he heard the crack of the whip and felt his skin tear on his back. He felt it connect again and again. Then finally it stopped and a sigh came out of him.</p><p>"I believe you are telling the truth Murphy and I must say you have lasted longer than anticipated. I have a deal for you." At this point he was ready to take anything to make this shit stop.</p><p>"If I agree to whatever you want will you stop fucking whipping me? I am tired of this bullshit. I did nothing to deserve this. Espically this fucking last bullshit." He saw the man come in front of him and crouch to look at him.</p><p>"I do apologize for that. I lost my temper and yes if you agree it will all stop." This man lost his fucking temper over what and why did he fucking take it out on me.</p><p>"Fine what do you want?" The man nodded and stood up. He felt himself being turned and now he was upright and facing the man.</p><p>The man had tattoos on his head and was dressed like a priest. He almost chuckled at the irony of what he had been through. He watched as the man took a knife and cut the ropes that held him in place. Murphy fell to the ground hard and ground as he tried to stand. He felt pain shoot through him as something was laid over him.</p><p>"I want to teach you. I am in need of an heir to take over my position if I should die. I don't expect an answer now. Think this over and in two days I will come for your answer." He looked up at the man with a glare.</p><p>"There is a room at the end of the hall. It has all of the essentials you should need. I will have a healer brought to your room shortly. There are books about our culture that you should read if you chose." He struggled to his feet and pulled the blanket around him.</p><p>He could feel the fabric rubbing against his wounds but only flinched slightly. He looked around the room and saw something that surprised him. It looked like a dropship from the ark. There is no way. What the fuck was going on here? He followed the man when he started down the hall.</p><p>"You have two options Murphy. Take what I have offered and live out the rest of your days peacefully or refuse and I will send you back to where you came from. Trust me you don't want that." Well shit he thought as he entered the room.</p><p>He looked around and shook his head which he instantly regretted. It was a nice size with a bed against one wall. The bathroom was through another door and there even was a fucking kitchen. Well I could get used to this he thought as he slowly made his way to the bed. He saw clothes folded on it.</p><p>"The healer will be here shortly. I hope you think about what I have told you." The man turned and left closing the door with a thud.</p><p>He didn't even bother putting on clothes as he grabbed the pillow and put it behind his head. He leaned back and felt his skin pull and tug as he tried to move to a comfortable position. He sighed once he was somewhat comfortable. He knew he only had one option and if he wanted to try and redeem himself it was his only choice. He felt the blackness consume him as he heard the door open and someone come in. His exhaustion consumed him as he felt a cool liquid being spread across his chest.</p>
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